CARTAGii  IN  j-\. 

OR 

THE  LOST  BRIG  A 


SUr  JL 


CHARLES  W  HAL 


PRIVATE 

—  OF  — 

C.  d.  KENNEDY, 

DETROIT,  MICH. 


No 
Cost, 


Cartagena 


Cartagena 

or 

The  Lost  Brigade 

A  story  of   Heroism  in  the  British  War 
with  Spain,    1740-1742 


By 

CHARLES  W.  HALL 

Author  of 

Drifting  Round  the  World,"    "Adrift  in  the 
Icefields,",  «-',  Twice  Taken,"  etc. 


VTCRESCIT 


Lamson,  Wolffe  and  Company 

Boston,  New  York,  and  London 

M  DCCC  xcvni 


Copyright,  1898, 
By  Lamson,  Wolff e  and  Company. 

'.      . '  All  rigfos  reserved,  .  ' 


The  Pinkham  Press, 

Tremont  Temple, 
Boston,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


TO 

THE  BRAVE  AND  DEVOTED 
AMERICAN  VOLUNTEERS 

Who,  for  nearly  three  centuries,  have  defended  our  coasts, 
advanced  our  frontiers,  repulsed  our  invaders, 
and  carried  our  country's  flag  beyond 
its  borders  to  honorable  vic 
tory  on  sea  and  land, 
Who  have  never  sought  war,  or  accepted  a 

dishonorable  peace, 

Who  have  always  scorned  cruelty  to  a  fallen  foe,  or  ar 
rogance  and  inhumanity  to  the  vanquished, 
Who,  however  terrible  in  battle,  or  successful  in  conquest, 
have  ever  willingly  laid  aside  the  sword,  choosing 
rather  to  be  good  citizens  than  that  perpet 
ual  menace  to  popular  government, 

a  standing  army, 
This  book  is  dedicated  by  the  Author. 


99.1280 


Contents 

Chapter  ,                                                                Page 

I.  On  the  Ledges    ....         1 

II.  The  Household  at  Ploughed  Neck       14 

III.  The  Sabbath       ....       26 

IV.  Beating  Up  Recruits   ...       38 
V.  "Old   Hewson"   ....       51 

VI.     The  Sack  of  Cartagena         .  .       03 
VII.     The   Parting       ....       74 

VIII.     The  Muster  at  Boston           .  .       86 

IX.     Off   for   Jamaica         .          .  .99 

Caneotus    .          .          .          .  .110 

The  Arrival  of  the  Armada  .     133 

XII.     The  Sailing  of  the  Fleet       .  .157 

XIII.  Punta  Del  Canoa       .          .  .     170 

XIV.  Preparing   for    Battle         .  .     182 
XV.     The    Landing     .          .          .  .195 

XVI.  Blazing    a    Path         .          ,  .  220 

XVII.  Opening  the  Trenches         .  .  241 

XVIII.  The  Barradera  Batteries     .  .  262 

XIX.  The  Taking  of  Boca  Chica  .  273 


Contents 


Chapter  Page 

XX.  News  From  the  Expedition           .     282 

XXI.  The  Last  of  Earth       .          .         .     304 

XXII.  Castillo     Grande         .          .         .318 

XXIII.  Texar    de    Gracias       .        .         .330 

XXIV.  On  Picket  at  La  Quinta     .          .     341 
XXV.  The  Hospital  of  Saint  Lazarus     .     353 

'  XXVI.  The  Spanish  Musket  .         .         .380 

XXVII.  The  Assault  on  San  Lazaro         .     393 

XXVIII.  After  the  Battle         .          .          .404 

XXIX.  The  Sinking  of  the  Gallicia         .     413 

XXX.  Death  in  Life     .         .         .          .410 

XXXI.  A  L'outrance      .          .          .          .442 

XXXII.     Acharne' 452 

XXXIII.  In  the  Wilderness     .          .          .464 

XXXIV.  Avenged 47G 

XXXV.     Bereaved 488 

XXXVI.     Popayan 499 

XXXVII.  Homeward  Bound       .          .          .529 

XXXVIII.  Under  the  Locusts     .          .          .551 

XXXIX.  In  Gurgite  Vasto       .         .         .     5GO 

XL.  Conclusion                                            573 


PROLOGUE. 

On  the  19th  of  October,  1739,  war  was  declared 
between  England  and  Spain,  and  the  following  year 
was  one  of  constant  warfare  both  on  the  European 
continent  and  in  the  New  World. 

In  the  succeeding  year  a  vast  armada  was  fitted 
out  in  England  to  conquer  the  Spanish  dependencies 
of  the  West  Indies  and  Central  and  South  America, 
and  the  flower  of  the  British  army  were  re-enforced 
by  a  Jamaican  contingent,  and  by  volunteers  from  all 
the  loyal  colonies  of  North  America,  to  the  number, 
it  is  said,  of  some  five  thousand  men. 

Of  that  ill  conducted  and  fatal  enterprise  I  pro 
pose  to  tell  the  story,  and  have  chosen  rather  to 
attempt  to  embody  these  shreds  of  history  in  a  tale, 
than  to  make  a  matter  of  dry  details  of  one  of  the 
least  known  and  most  interesting  epochs  of  our 
colonial  historv. 


Cartagena 

Chapter  I.       ;'*"  .• 
On  tlae  Ledges 


Early  on  the  forenoon  of  a  foggy  June  morning, 
in  the  year  of  bur  Lord  1740,  two  dories  strained 
heavily  at  their  grapnels,  amid  the  surges  that 
swept  over  "the  Cod  Ledge,"  then  a  favorite  fishing 
ground  opposite  the  eastern  portion  of  the  ancient 
town  of  S . 

The  dense  seafogs,  sweeping  shoreward  before 
the  increasing  gale,  had  not  as  yet  shrouded  from 
view  the  long  high  barrier  of  sandy  bluffs,  which, 
crowned  with  a  scanty  verdure  of  coarse  beach- 
grass,  marks  the  curving  shore  of  "the  right  arm  of 
Massachusetts";  although  it  was  evident  that  they 
would  soon  hide  from  the  fishermen  both  the  shores 
of  the  cape,  and  the  narrow  entrance  of  the  shallow 
creek  from  whence  they  had  set  out  at  sunrise. 

While  one  dory  had  but  a  single  occupant,  the 
other,  of  larger  and  heavier  build,  held  three. 
These  sat  quietly  watching  their  lines,  heedless  of 
the  tossing  and  veering  of  their  light  skiff,  save 
when  some  combing  billow  covered  them  with  spray, 
in  which  case  the  recipient  of  the  most  water  be 
came  the  laughing  stock  of  his  companions. 

In  the  seat  nearest  the  bow,  sat  "Black  Bill,"  the 


Cartagena 


Indian  apprentice  boy  of  Elisha  Hay,  who  was  the 
largest  land  holder  of  the  district,  and  the  father  of 
his  two  companions.  He  was  barely  twenty  years  of 
age,  tall,  slender,  and  finely  formed,  with  handsome, 
but  slig^ly  aquiline  features,  whose  habitual  ex 
pression  was  on,e  of  quiet  good  humor,  although  at 
.^im'es'ke  wa&  subject  to  fits  of  melancholy,  lasting 
for  days  together.  For  the  rest  he  was  a  faithful 
servant,  a  perfect  master  of  woodcraft,  and  the  lore 
of  fisherman  and  fowler,  a  skilful  sailor,  and  ready 
to  do  anything  for  either  of  the  brothers,  who 
treated  him  rather  as  a  kinsman  than  an  inferior. 

Amidships  sat  the  younger  brother,  Elisha  (com 
monly  called  "Lish")  Hay,  notorious  as  the  greatest 
madcap  of  the  whole  quiet  district,  and  the  darling 
of  every  one  who  recognized  the  warm  impulsive 
heart,  whose  superabundant  life,  and  no  meaner 
motive,  was  the  mainspring  which  set  in  motion  half 
the  mischief  devised  in  the  whole  county.  Of  me 
dium  size,  but  strongly  built,  and  possessing  a  good 
figure,  brown  hair,  black  eyes,  and  a  naturally  fair 
complexion,  he  was  beyond  doubt  a  handsome  man, 
and  his  constant  good  humor  lent  a  double  charm 
to  his  beauty. 

But  Stephen  Hay,  his  elder  brother,  wras  es 
teemed  both  the  handsomest  and  strongest  man  of 
the  county,  measuring,  at  twenty-five,  six  feet  four 
inches  in  his  stocking  feet,  and  finely  proportioned 
from  head  to  heel.  His  features  were  regular,  their 
expression  firm  and  noble,  and  his  clear  blue  eyes, 
at  times  dark  and  tender,  at  others  had  a  steely 
glint,  which  told  of  fearless  courage,  and  an  indom- 


On    the    Ledges 


itable  will.  His  high,  white  forehead,  and  massive 
shoulders,  were  swept  by  a  torrent  of  golden  hair, 
whose  heavy  curling  masses  gave  a  lion-like  majesty 
to  his  features,  despite  the  worn  slouched  hat  and 
ancient  clothes  he  had  put  on  for  the  occasion.  In 
him  seemed  realized  the  dream  of  the  idealist,  the 
perfect  man,  the  microcosmos  in  whose  person  the 
universe  is  reproduced,  and  to  whose  rule  and  use 
all  things  earthly  are  created  a«id  subject. 

Yet  now,  as  he  sat  in  his  well-worn  homespun  suit, 
surmounted  by  a  venerable  hat,  his  splendid  beauty 
could  not  save  him  from  the  good-natured  ridicule 
of  his  brother,  who,  from  his  seat  amidships, 
watched  the  abstracted  look  with  which  Stephen 
gazed  into  the  wild  waste  of  white-capped  waves 
and  drifting  mists  before  him. 

"Bill!  do  look  at  Steve,  dreamin'  wide  awake!  He 
looks  as  wise  as  Parson  Giddings  himself,  if  we 
could  but  fancy*  that  the  good  man  had  changed 
clothes  with  some  last  year's  scarecrow." 

The  half-civilized  Indian's  face  grew  grave  as  he 
answered :  "It's  very  funny,  sir,  but  he  looked  so,  the 
old  people  say,  when  he  sat  by  the  fire  of  council, 
and  saw  through  its  smoke  the  faces  he  should  meet 
in  battle";  and  Black  Bill's  dusky  face  became  al 
most  as  rapt  as  that  of  Stephen,  who,  hearing  not, 
and  seeing  nothing  of  this  by-play,  saw  only  in  the 
wild  chaos  of  mist  and  wave  a  reflex  of  thoughts  and 
passions  which  battled  within  him. 

Lish  knew  well  to  whom  the  Indian  had  alluded 
in  his  answer — the  ill-fated  chieftain  of  Manomet, 
the  ally  of  Philip  of  Mount  Hope;  and  even  his  care- 


Cartagena 


less  levity  shrank  from  farther  question  on  such  a 
topic.  But  he  turned  readily  enough  on  his  brother, 
who  almost  started  to  his  feet  at  the  laughing  query, 
"What  are  you  dreaming  of,  brother?" 

"Of  many  things,  but,  most  of  all,  of  that  strange 
text  Parson  Giddings  read  last  Sunday." 

"What  text  was  that,  pray? — for  I'm  afraid  I 
slept  through  the  whole  sermon,  in  spite  of  catnip 
and  flagroot." 

"He  was  talking  of  the  vanity  of  all  human  acqui 
sitions,  and  even  of  human  renown;  and  the  sight 
of  the  fog-banks  brought  it  to  mind."  And  he  re 
peated,  with  a  strangely  sad  undertone  in  his  voice, 
a  verse  or  two  of  that  weird  book  of  the  Apocrypha 
styled  "The  Wisdom  of  Solomon:" 

"  'And  our  name  shall  be  forgotten  in  time,  and 
no  man  shall  have  our  works  in  remembrance,  and 
our  life  shall  pass  away  as  the  trace  of  a  cloud,  and 
shall  be  dispersed  as  the  mist  that  is  driven  away 
with  the  beams  of  the  sun,  and  overcome  with  the 
heat  thereof. 

"  'For  our  time  is  a  very  shadow,  that  passeth 
away,  and  after  our  end  there  is  no  returning;  for  it 
is  fast  sealed,  so  that  there  is  no  returning.' " 

"And  why  so  sad,  brother?"  asked  the  younger 
man,  lightly.  "  'Tis  our  common  fortune,  and  such 
measure  as  we  deal  others.  I'm  sure,  I  don't  know 
half  the  names  on  the  tombstones  that  stand  by  the 
town  pond  yonder,  let  alone  what  they  who  owned 
to  them  in  life  did  in  the  flesh;  and  as  to  Bill,  here, 
I  doubt  if  he  could  find  even  the  graves  of  the  great 
men  of  his  people." 


On    the    Ledges 


The  native  answered  with  something  of  scorn  in 
his  tone,  ."There  are  stones  which  bear  no  letters, 
and  trees  too  old  to  shed  leaves  on  the  graves  from 
which  they  grew,  and  yet  the  deeds  of  those  who 
sleep  beneath  them  are  not  forgotten  among  their 
people." 

"You  are  right,"  said  Stephen,  gravely,  "and  yet 
you  too,  Lish,  speak  but  the  truth,  for  in  this  new 
world  we  eat,  drink,  die  and  are  forgotten,  almost 
as  surely  as  the  sheep  that  range  our  woods,  or  the 
cattle  of  our  pastures.  And  yet  although  I  know  I 
have  no  right  to  better  luck  than  my  neighbors,  I 
can't  bear  the  thought  of  being  forgotten." 

"Well,  what  will  you  do  to  become  famous? 
There's  no  chance  that  I  know  of  except  you  go  out 
against  the  Spaniard,  as  you  have  done  already  be 
fore  now." 

"That's  just  what  I  think  of  doing,"  said  Stephen, 
quietly.  "The  papers  came  two  nights  ago  I  hear, 
and  Captain  Timothy  Kuggles  is  to  raise  a  company 
ini  Barnstable  county.  He  will  drum  up  recruits 
next  week  I  suppose,  and  I'm  going  with  him." 

"I'll  go  too,  sir,"  said  the  Indian  gravely,  "I'm  out 
of  my  time  tomorrow  night,  and  I  don't  like  farm 
ing." 

Lish,  suddenly  grew  grave,  and  when  he  spoke 
there  was  a  half  sullen  ring  to  a  voice  usually  merry 
and  carelessly  insouciant.  "And  I  will  make  the 
third;  I'ye  never  been  off  of  the  farm  hardly,  and 
I  want  to  see  something  of  the  world  before  I  die." 

"We  can't  all  go,"  said  Stephen  hurriedly,  "for 
father  is  too  feeble  to  manage  alone.  Bill  here  has  a 


Cartagena 


motive  for  wishing  to  go  that  neither  of  us  can  have, 
and  you  or  I  must  stay  at  home,  that's  certain.  Now 
which  shall  it  be?" 

"You've  been  out  cruising  twice  in  a  privateer," 
said  Lishjiotly,  "and  I've  never  left  the  Cape  but 
once  and  that  was  on  a  three  days'  trip  in  the  wood- 
sloop.  I'm  bound  to  go  off  on  my  own  hook  once 
at  least,  before  I  settle  down  to  live  and  die  on 
Ploughed  Neck." 

"But  mother  will  never  hear  of  it,"  said  Stephen, 
earnestly.  "You  are  her  youngest  and  best  loved, 
and  it  would  kill  her  should  anything  happen  to 
you." 

"I  don't  care,"  said  the  young  man;  "this  time  I'll 
have  my  way.  I'm  no  baby  to  stay  at  home,  slaving 
away  with  axe  and  hoe,  when  you  and  Bill  are 
filling  yourselves  with  oranges  and  pine-apples,  and 
your  pockets  with  doubloons.  But  what's  Uncle 
Zene  wanting  now?" 

A  stentorian  halloo  came  struggling  against  the 
freshening  breeze,  from  the  occupant  of  the  other 
dory,  Capt.  Zenas  Freeman,  a  retired  shipmaster. 
Called  "Uncle  Zenas"  by  every  one  in  the  village, 
small  and  great;  at  sixty,  still  hale  and  vigorous; 
with  keen,  pleasant  gray  eyes,  and  hair  which  sil 
vered  but  refused  to  desert  its  post;  he  was  held  to 
be  a  well-to-do  farmer,  a  keen  hunter  and  fisherman, 
and  "the  best  hearted  man  in  the  world." 

"Steve!    Steve!    I  say,  Steve!" 

"What  say,  uncle?"  went  down  the  wind  in  full 
clear  tones. 

"I'm  goin'  in.    There's  a  heavy  gale  comin'  in  from 


On    the    Ledges 


the  eastward  and  it's  rough  on  the  bar  now.    Ye'd 
better  up  anchor  an'  go  in  too!" 

"All  right!    We'll  be  with  you!" 

"Come,  boys,"  he  added  in  a  lower  tone,  "reel  up 
your  lines,  trim  the  fish,  and  get  ready  to  row  with 
out  hindrance." 

The  lines  were  drawn  in  and  wound  on  the  reels; 
the  fish  properly  disposed,  the  rowlocks  carefully 
examined,  the  oars  laid  ready  to  hand,  and  soon  all 
was  ready  for  the  passage  over  the  intervening 
surges,  which  swept  between  them  and  the  quiet  in 
let,  which  custom  has  dignified  with  the  title  of 
Scorton  Harbor. 

"Bill !  up  with  the  grapnel !  Lish !  keep  her  head  to 
until  Bill  gets  his  oars  out!  I'll  sit  aft  and  steer.'1 

The  anchor  was  soon  aboard,  and  as  a  surge  lifted 
the  dory  high  in  air  the  oarsmen,  with  a  quick  sweep 
of  their  starboard  oars,  swung  her  deftly  round  be 
fore  the  next  sea  could  strike  her  sides,  and  then 
as  she  shot  shoreward  with  the  send  of  the  sea,  and 
the  sharp,  regular  strokes  of  his  stalwart  crew, 
Stephen  scanned  with  restless  glances  the  half- 
hidden  surges  before  him,  and  in  low,  quick  tones, 
directed  the  efforts  of  his  companions. 

"Easy,  Bill !  the  wind  blows  hard  anfl  you  pull  too 
strong  with  your  left.  It  won't  do  to  let  her  broach 
to  and  run  the  risk  of  shipping  a  sea." 

"Not  too  deep,  Lish,  or  you'll  hamper  your  oar. 
Pull  quick,  boys,  or  that  sea'll  be  over  us." 

The  extra  effort  carried  them  beyond  the  danger 
and  the  roller  breaking  behind  them  swept  them  on 
its  crest  of  foam  a  score  of  yards  shoreward. 


8  Cartagena 


"Ain't  this  glorious?"  exclaimed  Lish,  as  wave 
after  wave  swept  them  to  leeward  like  leaves  before 
the  winds  of  autumn. 

"Yes!  but  not  safe,  by  long  odds,"  exclaimed  hia 
more  cautious  brother,  as,  rising  to  his  feet,  he  sur 
veyed  the  breakers  on  the  bar  close  before  them. 

"Where  is  Uncle  Zenas?"  said  he,  at  length. 

"Help!  Halloo-oo!— help!"  The  half-despairing 
cry  caught  his  ear,  and  through  blinding  mists  and 
flying  spray  the  youth  saw  the  capsized  dory,  and 
a  beseeching  face  amid  the  foam,  and  then  the  suc 
ceeding  surge  hid  the  old  man's  struggle  with  the 
cruel  waves  from  all  eyes  save  those  of  the  All-See 
ing. 

"Pull  her. around,  head  to  the  sea — quick!  That's 
right.  Back  water!  So — steady!"  said  Stephen,  as 
he  drew  in  his  steering-oar,  and  peered  steadily 
shoreward.  "There  he  is!  Back  water!  Look  out 
for  the  dory!  Hold  on,  uncle,  a  second — all  right! 
Pull,  boys,  or  we  shall  strike  her.  Thank  God!" 

He*  had  good  reason  to  thank-  God,  for  he  had 
caught  the  arm  of  the  exhausted  man  as  he  was 
sinking  for  the  last  time,  and  with  a  tremendous 
effort  had  dragged  him  aboard  the  dory.  There  was 
still  enough  of  peril  to  be  encountered,  and  so  Uncle 
Zenas  sat  resting  his  listless  head  on  Stephen's 
knees,  while  the  stout  oarsmen  backed  cautiously  in 
through  the  surf,  past  the  hidden  rocks  and  shelter 
ing  sand-point,  until  upon  the  new  flood  they  rowed 
swiftly  up  the  narrow  creek  to  the  landing. 

"You  have  saved  my  life,  Stephen,  and  I  shall 
never  forget  it,"  faltered  the  old  man,  chilled  by  the 


On    the    Ledges 


cold  seas  and  exhausted  with  his  efforts.  "I  broke 
my  rullock,  an'  she  broached  to  an'  filled.  My  poor 
Maggie  would  have  been  indeed  an  orphan  but  for 
you." 

"Never  mind  that,  uncle,"  said  Stephen,  kindly; 
"we  must  get  you  home  now.  Can  you  walk  be 
tween  us  two?" 

"Oh,  yes!  I  can  get  along  alone  well  enough,  I 
reckon." 

But,  after  a  few  steps,  Uncle  Zenas  was  glad 
enough  to  lean  on  the  strong  men,  of  whom  he  had 
so  often  spoken  as  the  boy-babies  he  had  taken  on 
his  knee  in  the  prime  of  his  own  manhood;  and  it 
was  with  joy  that  he  at  last  emerged  from  the  lo 
cust-shaded  lane,  and  entered  the  open  door  of  his 
own  homestead. 

They  supported  his  feeble  steps  to  the  huge  fire 
place,  and  seated  him  in  a  softly-cushioned  chair, 
brought  by  an  elderly  little  woman  whose  sharp, 
nervous  questionings  did  not  prevent  her  from  mak 
ing  herself  generally  useful. 

"Been  upset,  ain't  ye?  I  knew  ye  would,  an'  now 
it's  come  true.  Well,  I  won't  scold  ye  now,  brother, 
for  ye  look  a'most  beat  out.  What  can  I  do  fer  ye?" 

"Some  Santa  Cruz,  Luciny,  quick!  I  am  so  cold," 
said  the  old  man,  feebly. 

"Senserble  to  the  last,"  remarked  the  little 
woman,  grimly,  as  she  brought  a  large  square  glass 
bottle,  covered  with  gaily-painted  figures  and  flow 
ers.  "I  do  believe  that  ef  ye  were  dyin'  a  leetle 
Santy  Cruz  would  bring  ye  too." 

Whatever  might  have  been  the  effect  of  Santa 


10  Cartagena 


Cruz  on  Uncle  Zene  in  a  moribund  state,  its  virtues 
were  certainly  fully  shown  in  his  rapid  improve 
ment,  in  the  case  in  hand.  The  generous  liquid 
quickly  stirred  the  sluggish  blood  of  the  veteran, 
who,  assisted  by  Stephen,  soon  repaired  to  his  cham 
ber,  where  under  the  combined  influences  of  fatigue, 
warm  blankets  and  Santa  Cruz,  he  fell  into  a  deep 
refreshing  sleep. 

As  Stephen  silently  descended  from  the  old  man's 
chamber,  he  was  met  in  the  room  below  by  the  veter 
an's  only  daughter,  Margaret. 

Panting  with  exertion,  the  flush  of  overheated 
blood  striving  with  the  pallor  of  ill-defined  fear;  her 
tiny  coral  lips  half  open  to  ask  the  question  her 
large,  dark,  spirituelle  eyes  had  asked  already;  and 
with  her  graceful  figure  set  off  to  advantage  by  its 
spotless  muslin  drapery  in  strong  contrast  to  her 
dark  beauty  and  jetty  locks,  she  seemed  to 
Stephen  the  embodiment  of  some  heavenly  vision 
rather  than  a  mortal  maiden. 

"O,  Stephen!  will  my  father  live?  Is  he  better 
now?" 

"Yes,  Margaret,  he  sleeps  soundly  and  has  re 
gained  the  warmth  he  lost  in  the  waves." 

"And  you  saved  him,  Stephen,  they  tell  me.  How 
shall  we  ever  repay  you  ?"  she  continued. 

Stephen,  tall  and  manly  as  he  was,  blushed  like  a 
girl  as  he  hastened  to  disavow  any  peculiar  merit, 
saying  not  without  a  tinge  of  solemnity  in  his  tone, 

"God  saved  him,  but  we  who  were  his  instru 
ments  alike  risked  what  little  danger  we  ran,  and 
Lish  and  Bill  are  as  worthy  of  praise  as  I." 


On    the    Ledges  11 


She  shook  her  pretty  head  incredulously.  "But 
they  did  not  bend  down  into  the  cold  waves  as  you 
did  to  grasp  and  save  my  father,  nor  could  they  like 
you,  have  raised  him  into  the  dory  unassisted." 

"Who  told  you  that  I  did?" 

"William,  your  father's  apprentice,  and  he  says  no 
man  living  in  the  Bay  plantation  could  have  done 
as  you  have  done  to-day." 

"Then  it  is  enough  Margaret,  that  I  have  saved 
your  father,  and  heard  your  kind  words  of  praise.  He 
will  soon  awake  antf  then  you  can  see  him.  We 
must  go  now,  for  it  is  Saturday,  and  much  remains 
to  be  done  before  nightfall." 

"It  will  be  pleasant  tomorrow,  for  it  is  breaking 
up  in  the  west.  Come  over  tomorrow  and  see  us — I 
mean  niy  father — for  he  will  be  anxious  to  see  and 
thank  you  for  his  life  and  my  happiness." 

With  a  gladness  born  of  the  warm  thanks  of  one 
whom  he  had  long  admired  in  secret,  Stephen  set  out 
on  his  way  homewards,  full  of  hope  and  of  golden 
visions,  such  as  men  have  in  the  flush  of  youthful 
vigor  and  inexperience. 

What  if  the  drizzling  rain  still  fell,  and  the  seafogs 
hung  over  the  barren  sand-dunes  that  overlooked  the 
raging  surges?  the  sunshine  of  the  heart  illumined 
his  way,  and  he  lived  in  the  summer  of  successful 
love  and  limitless  ambition. 

Suddenly  he  looked  up,  and  saw  near  the  wind 
ing  pathway  a  rude  enclosure,  the  burial  place  of  the 
fathers  of  his  hamlet,  and  within  many  a  sunken 
mound  was  destitute  of  the  poor  slabs  of  thin  slate- 
stone,  which  once  bore  in  rude  letters  and  ruder 


12  Cartagena 


sculpture  the  brief  record  of  earthly  pilgrimages 
long  since  finished,  and  even  those  standing  were 
often  so  corroded  by  frost  and  weather,  that  the 
inscriptions  were  illegible. 

And  again  over  the  bright  skies  of  his  dream-sum 
mer  of  fame  and  love,  came  the  haunting  words  of 
the  sagest  and  greatest  of  Judah's  princes,  who 
more  than  all  men,  having  drank  of  earthly  power 
and  pleasure,  has  also  left  us  the  saddest  testimony 
to  the  insufficiency  of  earthly  blessings. 

"And  our  name  shall  be  forgotten  in  time,  and 
no  man  shall  have  us  in  remembrance;  and  our  life 
shall  pass  away  as  the  trace  of  a  cloud,  and  shall 
be  dispersed  as  a  mist  that  is  driven  away  with  the 
beams  of  the  sun  and  overcome  with  the  heat 
thereof." 

"So  speaks  the  text,"  said  Stephen  to  himself,  "but 
must  all  the  high  resolves  and  fair  ambition  of  mor 
tals  end  thus?  Cannot  unselfish  deeds  for  others' 
weal;  the  service  of  the  State,  or  a  life  untinged 
with  selfishness  or  shame,  save  from  oblivion  the 
name  of  a  man,  beyond  the  scanty  measure  of  exist 
ence  vouchsafed  him  here?" 

His  eyes  flashed,  his  form  dilated,  as  his  thoughts 
proceeded  with  the  theme.  "Strong  of  limb  and 
above  others  in  stature  am  I,  and  my  life  and  spirit 
shall  not  be  unworthy  of  their  dwelling  here.  Strong 
of  body,  I  will  dare  all  that  man  may  dare,  do  all 
that  man  may  do ;  and  strong  of  soul,  I  will  bear  the 
ills  of  life  not  only  for  myself,  but  as  much  as  may 
be  for  others  weaker  than  I.  My  deeds  shall  be 
brave  without  cruelty,  my  pride  unbending  to  man, 


On   the    Ledges  13 


but  humbled  before  God,  and  my  love  and  friendship 
capable  of  any  sacrifice.  So  shall  I  live,  if  not  in 
history,  yet  in  the  hearts  and  traditions  of  my  fam 
ily  and  village,  when  my  spirit  shall  have  long  since 
returned  to  the  God  who  gave  it." 

As  he  spoke,  he  heard  the  tinkling  bells  of  the 
kine  as  they  came  leisurely  homeward  from  the 
oaken  coverts  of  the  "Brush  pasture,"  the  bleating 
of  the  sheep,  as  they  gathered  around  the  almost 
empty  stackyard,  and  as  he  entered  he  saw  his 
mother's  gentle  face  welcome  him  with  a  loving 
smile  to  the  huge  fireplace,  glowing  with  oaken  logs, 
and  the  table  laden  with  rural  dainties. 

And  when  the  daily  round  of  labor  was  over  and 
the  sun  sank  slowly  in  the  cloudless  west,  the  mem 
bers  of  the  household  of  Ploughed  Neck  sat  quietly 
and  unemployed  around  the  hearth,  for  with  them 
the  holy  Sabbath  had  begun. 


Chapter  II. 
The   Household   at   Ploughed   Neck 

'Although  the  legislative  enactment  of  the  earlier 
colonial  days  that  "the  Lord's  day  should  be  ob 
served  from  three  of  the  clock  on  Saturday  after 
noon"  had  lost  its  force  with  the  lapse  of  nearly  five 
generations,  still  custom  and  family  discipline 
strongly  preserved  the  feeling  of  reverence,  which 
made  the  evening  before  the  Sabbath,  part  of,  and 
a  preparation  for  the  same. 

And  so  the  household  at  Ploughed  Neck,  as  the 
sun  sank  slowly  behind  the  purple  cliffs  of  Manomet, 
laid  aside  the  implements  of  husbandry,  and  all 
labor  of  spindle  and  loom,  and  silently  gathered  by 
the  hearth  or  at  door  and  window,  noting  the 
shadow  of  the  long  northern  twilight  as  it  deepened 
into  night. 

By  the  dying  fire  sat  Elisha  Hay  the  elder,  enjoy 
ing  the  evening  pipe  which  he  had  invariably 
smoked  for  nearly  half  a  century  except  on  such 
rare  occasions  of  sickness,  accident  or  great  mental 
disturbance,  as  had  for  a  time  altered  the  even  cur 
rent  of  his  life.  Of  rather  moderate  stature  but 
strongly  and  even  actively  proportioned,  he  had  pre 
served  unimpaired  by  sixty  years  of  temperate  life 
his  white  even  teeth  and  the  sight  of  his  pleasant 
blue  eyes.  He  had  acquired  in  early  years,  a  local 
reputation  as  a  scholar,  had  held  various  offices  of 
trust  in  the  State  and  county,  and  his  lands  marched 


The    Household    at    Ploughed    Neck          15 

many  a  rood  from  the  surf -beaten  sands  of  the  sea- 
beach,  across  marsh,  meadow,  swamp  and  upland, 
to  the  ponds  which  lay  like  hidden  gems,  amid  the 
oak-shadowed  forest  lands  to  the  south  and  west. 
Faultlessly  moral,  a  devoted  husband  and  kind 
father,  and  respected  for  his  piety  in  the  church,  he 
nevertheless  had  a  strong  tinge  of  that  Puritan 
spirit  of  self  repression,  wrhich  even  to  this  day,  takes 
out  of  the  life  of  many  New  Englanders  all  color  and 
beauty,  and  much  of  contentment  and  pleasure; 
leaving  little  to  be  admired  save  the  strength  of 
purpose  which  so  staunchly  endures  and  directs  a 
life,  sternly  limited  to  the  performance  of  duty  and 
the  accumulation  of  wealth.  It  is  but  just  however, 
to  aver  that  none  went  hungry  or  naked  from  his 
door,  or  lay  in  want  or  sickness  without  proving  his 
bounty;  neither  could  any  man  say  with  truth  that 
he  had  oppressed  the  poor,  or  cheated  the  ignorant 
who  trusted  in  him. 

His  blood,  unmixed  for  generations,  was  derived 
from  a  poor,  but  noble  family  of  English  ancestry 
from  the  borders  of  Wales,  and  early  in,  life  he  had 
chosen  a  wife  descended  like  himself  from  one  of  the 
earliest  settlers  of  "the  Plymouth  Colony." 

Pretty  Deliverance  Clarke  brought  him  little 
dowrer  in  gold  or  silver,  save  the  string  of  massive 
gold  beads  around  her  wrhite  neck,  and  a  few  quaint 
ly  fashioned  spoons,  small  and  great,  with  -the  tiny 
silver  porringer  whence  her  infant  lips  had  taken 
that  first  meal,  which  presaged  the  yearly  widening 
separation  between  mother  and  child.  But  she 
brought  a  goodly  trousseau  in  chests  of  snowy  linen 


16  Cartagena 


and  soft  woollen  fabrics,  spun,  woven,  bleached  and 
colored  by  her  own  hands,  and  with  them  beauty, 
health  and  a  love  which  labor  could  not  lessen  or 
care  diminish.  Many  children  had  been  born  to 
them,  to  receive  the  old  scriptural  names  in  bap 
tism,  and  to  grow  up  in  the  simple  school  of  cease 
less  labor  and  "godly  living,"  which,  wrhile  it  has 
given  place  to  wider  learning  and  more  liberal 
views,  doubtless  in  its  day  produced  men  of  sterner 
integrity  and  simpler  purity  of  soul. 

The  house  itself  was  then  new,  framed  from  the 
slow-growing,  tough,  close-grained  oaks  of  the  in 
terior  belt  of  woodland,  which  still  shelters  the  red 
deer,  fox  and  partridge,  although  over  two  centuries 
have  passed  since  first  the  sachem  of  Manomet  saw 
his  hunting  grounds  invaded  by  the  men  of 
Plymouth. 

It  was  large  for  a  farm-house  of  that  epoch,  and 
not  over-low  in  the  wralls,  although  the  great  beams 
everywhere  showed  their  unpolished,  rudely  painted 
surfaces  amid  the  rough  plaster. 

Huge  fireplaces  3rawned  in  three  of  the  lower 
rooms,  and  two  chambers  boasted  of  a  like  conven 
ience  and  luxury,  in  all  of  which  gleamed  curiously 
wrought  andirons  surmounted  by  huge  brazen  balls. 

In  all  the  rooms  but  one  the  furniture  was  heavy, 
and  even  costly,  wrought,  as  was  the  fashion,  in 
massive*  mahogany,  ironwood  and  oak,  and  embel 
lished  with  fittings  of  brass.  A  few  shells,  whale's 
teeth  curiously  worked,  with  the  sword  and  half- 
pike  carried  by  the  elder  Hay  as  lieutenant  in  the 
colonial  militia,  together  with  some  little  display  of 


The    Household    at    Ploughed    Neck  17 

china,  pewter  and  silver  on  the  beaufet,  were  the 
only  indications  of  an  attempt  at  ornament. 

The  kitchen,  however,  (often  in  those  days  styled 
"the  living  room'1)  was  by  far  the  largest  room,  run 
ning  acrpss  the  rear  of  the  house,  and  forming  with 
its  huge  fireplace,  an  apartment  over  a  score  of  feet 
in  length,  by  nearly  as  many  in  breadth.  A  long,  nar 
row  mantel  bordered  the  wainscotting  above  the 
fireplace,  and  was  set  with  candlesticks,  trays  and 
snuffers  of  iron  and  brass,  above  which,  on  deer's 
horns,  hung  several  heavy  musquets,  with  rude 
leathern  shot  pouches,  bullet  bags  and  powder 
horns.  A  massive  table,  a  large  settle  capable  of 
forming  a  bed  upon  occasion,  with  chairs  seated 
with  leather  and  plaited  rushes,  simDlTT  furnished 
the  apartment. 

Here,  then,  all  were  gathered — Deacon  Hay  in  his 
great  arm  chair,  reading  by  the  flickering  light  of 
the  hearth  the  last  issue  of  the  Boston  Newsletter* 
Opposite  him,  his  wife  caressed  with  one  motherly 
hand  the  golden  curls  of  her  youngest  daughter 
"Tempie,"  for  even  Puritan  nearts  felt  that  Tem 
perance  was  no  fitting  name  to  be  used  in  terms  of 
endearment.  Joshua,  the  first  born,  and  his  father's 
chief  reliance  upon  the  farm,  with  Stephen,  "Lish" 
and  Black  Bill  sat  by  the  windows  in  silence,  until 
their  father,  finishing  his  perusal  of  the  little  sheet 
at  last  laid  it  on  the  light  stand  by  his  side,  and 
igniting  a  pine  splinter  at  the  fire  lit  one  of  the  long 
"tallow  dips"  which  gave  light  to  our  forefathers. 

"Is  there  any  news  of  the  great  expedition, 
father?"  asked  Joshua,  quietly. 


18  Cartagena 


"Little  to  note,  save  that  Col.  Spotswood,  of  Vir 
ginia,  who  was  to  have  commanded  our  men,  died 
suddenly  at  Annapolis  on  the  seventh.  A  strange 
providence,  and  a  sad  one  at  such  a  time,  but  even 
thus  uncertain  is  human  life." 

"Who  is  spoken  of  as  his  successor?" 

"The  Hon.  Col.  Gooch,  now  lieutenant  governor 
of  Virginia.  A  brave  and  gallant  gentleman  'tis 
said,  but  fond  of  worldly  display,  and  foolish  pleas 
ures.  I  would  that  worthier  men  were  to  take 
charge  of  the  lives  of  our  young  men,  and  essay  the 
defence  of  our  rights,  and  the  king's  honor  and 
glory." 

"Are  the  officers  appointed  for  this  colony?"  con 
tinued  Stephen,  with  the  bearing  of  one  who  in 
this  last  question  had  exhausted  all  his  interest  in 
the  subject. 

"Not  yet,  my  son,  although  the  men  should  soon 
be  ready  for  sea,  but  'tis  said  at  New  York,  I  hear, 
that  already  the  king's  officers  begrudge  our  colo 
nists  commissions,  even  over  our  own  troops." 

"There's  a  horse  coming  down  the  lane,"  said  Bill, 
suddenly  raising  his  head.  "  'Tis  on  the  grass  now 
and  coming  round  to  the  west  door." 

As  he  spoke  the  beat  of  the  animal's  hoofs  became 
audible  to  all,  and  a  black  stallion,  bearing  the 
saddle  and  accoutrements  of  a  colonel  of  militia, 
and  covered  with  flecks  of  white  foam,  curvetted  an 
grily  for  a  moment  under  the  restraining  hand  of  its 
rider,  and  then  halted,  trembling  in  every  limb,  but 
motionless  as  a  statue  of  black  marble. 
The  rider,  an  athletic  and  dark  haired  man,  grace- 


The    Household    at    Ploughed    Neck          19 

ful  as  Apollo,  and  almost  gigantic  in  stature,  leapt 
from  the  saddle,  and  threw  reins  and-wand  to  a  huge 
deerhound,  who  gravely  seating  himself  by  the 
horse's  head,  caught  the  loose  reins  in  his  mouth 
and  placed  one  huge  forepaw  upon  the  fallen  rod. 

Mr.  Hay  met  the  new  comer  at  the  open  door,  and 
with  somewhat  cold  civility  asked  him  to  enter. 

"Nay,  not  so,  friend  Hay,  for,  as  all  men  know, 
you  love  not  to  receive  guests  on  the  eve  of  the 
Sabbath,  nor  would  I  now  trouble  you,  save  that  I 
am  pressed  with  urgent  affairs  both  public  and! 
private.  I  must  start  to  go  back  to  Boston  tomor 
row  night,  however,  and  would  speak  for  a  moment 
with  your  son,  Stephen.  'Tis  upon  the  king's  busi 
ness,  and  I  may  not  tarry  for  courtesy,  or  com 
pliment." 

"It  shall  not  need,  Mr.  Timothy  Ruggles,"  said 
Elisha  Hay  coldly,  "for  the  lad  is  of  age  and  shall 
act  his  own  pleasure,  and  even  I,  in  such  case  as 
yours,  would  not  hinder  if  I  might,  for,  if  I  judge 
aright,  you  are  about  to  raise  the  Barnstable  com 
pany  for  the  great  expedition." 

The  somewhat  scornful  features  of  Ruggles  re 
laxed  first  into  wonder  and  then  into  a  smile,  which 
lit  up  his  usually  saturnine  face  with  a  genial 
glow. 

"Even  old  Molly  Pognet,  whom  the  charitable  call 
'witch,'  and  the  fearful  'sorceress,'  could  scarcely 
guess  better  than  thou  hast  done.  But  what  has 
given  you  such  power  of  divination,  I  confess  I 
should  be  glad  to  discover." 

"That  a  company  of  the  ten  would  be  raised  here, 


20  Cartagena 


none  could  doubt,  and  it  needed  no  conjurer  to  di 
vine  on  whom  the  lot  would  fall,  when  the  governor 
chose  according  to  his  pleasure.  To  few  has  it  been 
given  to  become  lawyer,  landlord  and  representa 
tive  to  the  General  Court,  aye,  and  husband  of  a 
fair  widow,  within  the  short  space  which  you  have 
spent  among  us,  and  I  doubted  not  of  the  result  if 
military  glory  was  another  of  your  aspirations.  But 
here  is  Stephen,  who  is  anxious  to  hear  you,  and 
ready — " 

"To  do  his  duty,  neighbor  Hay,  I  doubt  not,"  in 
terrupted  Buggies  heartily  enough,  although  his  lips 
had  worked  angrily  more  than  once,  during  Hay's 
somewhat  cynical  review  of  his  not  uneventful  life. 
"But  come,  Stephen,  let  us  talk  while  Beelzebub  is 
drinking,"  and,  followed  by  the  young  man,  the  fu 
ture  general,  chief  justice,  mandamus  councillor, 
loyalist  and  refugee  partisan,  walked  his  steed  to 
the  horse  trough  beside  the  curb  of  the  ancient  well. 

"Your  father  likes  me  not,  Stephen  Hay,"  said 
the  landlord  of  Newcomb's  tavern,  after  a  short 
pause,  "but  his  dislike  is  honest  and  comes  rather 
from  old  prejudices  and  old  time  ideas  than  malice, 
and  I  wrill  not  count  him  an  enemy.  Let  him 
know  from  me  that  it  were  not  well  to  forestall  the 
governor's  proclamation,  in  which,  within  ten  days, 
my  name  will  be  found  as  one  of  the  captains  of 
the  new  regiment.  You  are  the  first  man  whom  I 
have  asked  to  go  with  me,  and  you  shall  have  the 
colors,  if  I  can  compass  it,  and  the  first  sergeant's 
stripes  at  worst." 

Although  he  had  had  no  hope  of  such  prospect  of 


The    Household    at    Ploughed    Neck          21 

comparative  rank  and  distinction,  expecting  to  carry 
a  musket  in  the  ranks  as  a  simple  private,  or  rather 
"gentleman  volunteer,"  as  it  was  still  the  custom  to 
call  such  as  entered  the  ranks  from  a  sense  of  duty 
and  love  of  adventure,  Stephen  hesitated  a  moment 
ere  he  answered. 

"Come,  man !"  said  his  companion  almost  angrily, 
"What  sayest  thou?  Yes  or  no?  Or  are  my  offers 
too  low  to  tempt  you  to  leave  Ploughed  Neck,  and 
its  promises  of  wealth  and  renown  ?" 

"I  thought  not  of  such  matters,"  said  Stephen 
simply,  and  I  thank  you  for  your  good  .will.  But  I 
fear  to  take  such  responsibility  as  you  offer  me.  It 
were  better  that  you  had  rated  me  as  a  simple 
private  and  chose  as  officers  those  of  more  experi 
ence  than  I." 

Buggies  burst  into  a  laugh,  checked  suddenly  as 
he  glanced  at  the  open  windows  of  the  homestead 
where  in  silence  almost  unbroken  the  descendants 
of  the  Pilgrims  awaited  the  coming  darkness  and 
the  day  of  rest. 

"Truly,"  said  he,  "I  am  scant  of  courtesy,  and 
you  must  pardon  my  rudeness.  Nevertheless  your 
over-modesty  is  strange  in  the  hero  of  half  a  dozer 
perilous  conflicts  with  Spanish  corsair  and  Indian 
savage,  and  did  I  not  know  your  father,  and  the  in 
tegrity  in  which  you  were  nurtured,  I  should  have 
deemed  it  but  a  false  show  of  feigned  humility.  I 
know  you  to  be  shrewd,  brave  and  true,  and  it  is  no 
boy's  play,  but  hard,  bitter,  earnest  that  lies  before 
us,  and  one  such  man  as  I  shall  find  in  you,  is  worth 
a  dozen  of  the  fine  gentlemen  who  are  trying  to  se^ 


22  Cartagena 


cure  commissions.  So  once  for  all,  will  you  go?  or 
rather  will  you  come?" 

"Bear  with  me  a  moment,"  said  Stephen,  gravely, 
"and  tell  me,  if  you  will,  why  you  would  go  on  this 
expedition,  knowing  as  you  must  know  that  he  who 
adventures  in  this  matter,  may  scarce  in  anywise 
hope  to  bring  away  his  life.  You  have  spoken  open 
ly  to  me,  and  you  are  not  wont,  men  say,  to  venture 
aught  for  empty  show  or  without  hope  of  advantage. 
Tell  me,  therefore,  frankly,  if  you  will,  why  you  are 
ready  to  leave  a  good  business,  a  fair  wife,  your 
young  children  and  the  comfortable  tavern  yonder 
on  such  a  desperate  errand  as  ours." 

The  last  dull  belt  of  lurid  color  had  faded  out  of 
the  western  sky,  and  the  stars  were  beginning  to 
glimmer  above  in  the  darkening  heavens.  Buggies 
gathered  the  reins  of  his  grazing  steed,  and  stepped 
beside  him  as  if  ready  to  leap  into  the  saddle,  while 
the  great  dog  gambolled  and  barked  around  him, 
There  was  a  strange  sadness  in  the  clear,  manly 
voice,  and  unwonted  trembling  about  the  firmly  set 
lips  as  he  answered: 

"I  have  doubtless  done  much  that  may  be  ques 
tioned  to  secure  success,  and  it  may  be  that  men 
may  hereafter  blame,  and  Heaven  punish  me  there 
for,  for  in  poverty  I  was  nurtured,  and  early  I  swore 
that  I  would  yet  possess  both  wealth  and  fame,  if 
only  in  friendship  and  loyalty  to  my  word  I  might 
be  true,  and  blameless  in  devotion  to  my  king.  Yet 
truly  in  this  matter  I  have  little  to  gain  and  much 
to  lose,  and  I  go  upon  this  expedition  only  from  loy 
alty,  and  for  the  public  weal, — unless,"  added  he  in 


The    Household    at    Ploughed    Neck  23 

a  lighter  tone,  "the  love  of  adventure  may  count 
somewhat  heavily  in  the  balance.  What  say  you 
then,  Stephen,  do  you  go  with  me?" 

"I  will  go,"  said  Stephen  briefly. 

His  tall  companion  sprang  to  the  saddle,  whistled 
to  his  hound,  and  with  a  gay  "good  night,"  was  gone. 
Stephen  wratched  horse  and  rider  until  they  were 
lost  in  the  darkness,  and  re-entered  the  house. 

"Have  you  promised,  my  son?"  asked  his  father 
quietly. 

"I  have  promised,"  said  Stephen,  gently  adding 
as  he  saw  his  mother's  lips  quiver,  and  his  sister's 
starting  tears,  "it  may  be  that  I  may  not  go,  after 
all,  but  at  the  worst  little  will  be  done  before  fall ; 
so  it  is  best  not  to  borrow  trouble." 

"It  is  not  well  to  dissemble  even  in  kindness,"  said 
the  sterner  father,  "neither  must  we  shrink,  even 
though,  like  Abraham,  we  are  called  upon  to  offer 
our  first  born.  So  let  us  have  the  truth  even  if  we 
sorrow  therefor." 

"I  am  not  wont  to  lie,"  said  Stephen,  a  little  hurt, 
"but  no  man  knows  when  the  governor's  message 
will  be  issued,  and  we  are  not  to  tell  of  tonight's 
visit  to  any.  Moreover,  I  know  that  no  man  in  his 
senses  will  land  on  the  Spanish  Main  before  late  in 
the  fall,  and  now  it  lacks  many  weeks  to  the  end 
of  summer." 

As  he  finished  speaking  his  father  arose,  and  tak 
ing  the  family  Bible,  put  on  his  glasses,  seated  him 
self  by  the  dying  embers  of  the  hearth,  and  drew  the 
candle-stick  nearer  as  he  chose  out,  as  was  his  cus 
tom,  a  chapter  fitting  the  occasion  and  the  especial 


24  Cartagena 


needs  of  the  hour,  while  the  others,  without  a  word, 
gathered  around  the  high  priest  of  the  family  altar. 
From  the  20th  chapter  of  Deuteronomy  he  read  that 
last  wronderful  and  final  counsel  of  the  dying 
prophet,  to  the  people  he  had  led  out  of  bondage  and 
to  the  borders  of  their  inheritance. 

"When  thou  goest  out  to  battle  against  thine  ene 
mies,  and  seest  horses  and  chariots  and  a  people 
more  than  thou,  be  not  afraid  of  them ;  for  the  Lord 
thy  God  is  with  thee  which  brought  thee  up  out  of 
the  land  of  Egypt. 

"And  it  shall  be  when  ye  come  nigh  unto  the  bat 
tle,  that  the  priest  shall  approach,  and  speak  unto 
the  people. 

"And  shall  say  unto  them,  Hear,  O  Israel;  ye  ap 
proach  this  day  unto  battle  against  your  enemies; 
let  not  your  hearts  faint;  fear  not  and  do  not  trem 
ble,  neither  be  ye  terrified  because  of  them. 

"For  the  Lord  your  God  is  he  that  goeth  with  you 
to  fight  for  you,  against  your  enemies,  to  save  you." 

With  a  strange,  grave  enthusiasm,  the  simply 
dressed,  gray  haired  farmer,  who  had  never  seen  a 
blow  struck  in  mortal  strife,  read  the  assuring 
promises  of  Jehovah  to  his  people,  as  if  doubting 
nothing  that  they  were  as  applicable  to  the  wars  of 
the  eighteenth  century  and  the  new  world,  as  to  the 
conquest  of  Canaan  and  the  destruction  of  the  sons 
of  Anak.  And  kneeling,  he  prayed  'that  the  Lord 
would  protect  his  servant  going  forth  against  the 
enemies  of  his  king  and  the  foes  of  true  religion 
dwelling  afar  off;  that  the  battle  might  spare  and 
the  pestilence  pass  him  by  in  its  wrath,  and  the  ter- 


The    Household    at    Ploughed    Neck          25 

rible  storms  and  fearful  wonders  of  the  mighty  deep 
might  not  prevail  against  him.' 

"And  now,  O  Lord,"  the  petitioner  concluded,  "we 
leave  him  in  thy  hands,  knowing  that  with  thee 
naught  can  harm  or  make  afraid,  and  confessing 
that  as  we  have  received  our  lives  of  thee,  so  thou 
hast  a  right  to  take  them  of  us  again,  and  especially 
for  thy  honor  and  glory.  Yet,  if  it  be  thy  will,  re 
turn  thy  servant  unto  us  in  health  and  strength 
again;  and  if  not,  reunite  us  forever  in  heavenly 
kingdoms,  where  we  shall  no  more  go  out,  but  re 
joice  in  the  mercy  and  love  of  thv  crucified  son  for 
ever  and  ever.  Amen." 

And  as  mother,  sisters  and  brother  rose  from 
their  knees,  all  felt  that  their  best  and  bravest  had 
been  offered  as  an  acceptable  sacrifice  to  advance 
the  glory  of  God  and  king  and  country,  and  with 
a  tender  good  night  they  separated,  and  peaceful 
repose  enthralled  the  household  at  Ploughed  Neck. 


Chapter    III. 
The    Sabbath 

The  next  morning  broke  clear  and  balmy,  with 
the  sun  the  cattle  were  afield,  the  pigs  and  poultry 
fed,  and  the  family  horse  stood  harnessed  under 
the  wagon  shed,  while  the  household,  after  prayers, 
sat  down  to  breakfast  on  such  viands  as  time  and 
custom  have  almost  universally  established  as  the 
Sunday  breakfast  of  the  children  of  the  Pilgrims 
unto  this  day. 

A  huge  pot  of  nicely  browned  baked  beans,  sur 
mounted  by  its  cube  of  delicately  cooked  pork,  a 
loaf  of  true  brown  bread,  composed  of  two  parts  of 
corn  and  one  of  rye  meal  kneaded  with  hot  water 
and  salt,  and  baked  in  the  great  oven  until  its  crust 
was  nearly  an  inch  thick;  with  plenty  of  sweet,  yel 
low  butter,  rich  home-made  cheese,  and  the  invari 
able  plate  of  yellow  molasses  gingerbread,  formed  a 
meal  whose  counterpart,  it  might  have  been  safely 
wagered,  could  be  found  in  every  house  in  sight  of 
the  chimney  of  Deacon  Hay's  homestead. 

After  breakfast,  Joshua  and  Stephen,  Elisha  and 
Bill,  the  Indian  apprentice,  set  out  on  foot  across 
the  fields  towards  the  town,  some  three  miles  dis 
tant,  knowing  that  there  would  be  but  scant  room 
in  the  old-fashioned,  two-seated  wagon  for  "father, 
mother  and  the  girls,"  for  save  old  "Buff,'7  the  watch 
dog,  none  were  left  to  guard  the  house,  left  with  un 
locked  doors  and  unfastened  windows,  untenanted 
for  the  day. 


The    Sabbath  27 


And,  as  they  proceeded  over  the  sparse  herbage, 
whose  coarse,  scant  grasses  and  sapless  "poverty 
weed"  told  of  the  ocean  origin  of  the  sterile  soil,  they, 
walked  for  the  most  part  silently  and  soberly,  as 
became  men  in  whose  eyes  the  Sabbath  was  God's 
day,  sacred  only  to  his  service,  and  consecrating  all 
the  universe  for  the  time  being  as  a  temple  for  His 
worship  and  for  that  alone;  and,  therefore  it  was, 
that  there  was  no  wonder  experienced  by  any  that, 
during  the  greater  part  of  their  journey,  nothing 
was  said  to  break  the  current  of  their  several  trains 
of  thought. 

On  their  left,  not  half  a  mile  away,  the  higher 
ridge  of  wooded  land  lay  in  all  the  fresh  beauty  of 
perfect  leafage  and  the  freshness  of  spring,  and 
between  it  and  the  party  were  dense  swamps*  redolent 
of  brier,  vinebuds,  swamp  pink,  sweet  flag,  and 
honeysuckle,  amid  which  hovered  and  built  the  pur 
ple  grakle,  redwing  blackbird,  robin  and  bluebird, 
whose  soft  sweet  love  notes  mingled  with  the  spring 
voices  of  other  songsters  of  the  wood  and  plain. 

The  quail  called  mournfully  from  hill  to  hill  and 
cover  to  cover;  the  bittern  boomed  amid  the  lily- 
pads  of  "the  Springs"  at  the  headwaters  of  Naomet 
creek;  the  wary  crows  even  seemed  less  fearful  of 
man,  and  their  harsh  cawing  came,  softened  by  the 
distance,  from  the  tall  saplings  of  "the  Brush 
swamp,"  while  the  jocund  frogs  from  amid  their  in 
numerable  haunts  kept  up  their  monotonous  yet  not 
unpleasing  chorus,  with  wrhich  all  other  sounds 
blended  like  the  variations  of  a  time-honored 
melody. 


28  Cartagena 


Yet  it  should  be  confessed  that  none  of  the  four 
could  keep  out  of  mind  all  sublunary  thoughts  and 
worldly  considerations,  although  all,  in  a  certain 
sense,  tried  to,  and  on  the  whole  flattered  themselves 
that  they  succeeded  in  so  doing.  Joshua,  for  in 
stance,  wondered  if  Holway's  meadow  would  cut  as 
much  hay  as  his  heavily-dressed  mowing  land  below 
the  orchard,  and  recollected  with  something  of  self- 
reproach  that  half  a  score  of  cords  of  oaken  wood 
still  remained  piled  up  in  the  wood-lot,  though 
needed  to  swell  the  huge  family  wood-pile;  while 
the  tumultuous  rush  of  a  flock  of  silly  sheep  in  a 
field  near  the  road  recalled  the  sheep-washing,  now 
near  at  hand,  and  he  opened  his  lips  to  speak,  when 
the  distant  church  bell  warned  him  of  his  forget- 
fulness  of  holy  things,  and  he  held  his  peace. 

The  vivacious  Lish  was  less  self-contained,  and 
several  times  "broke  bounds,"  to  the  evident  distress 
of  Joshua,  whose  moderate  but  grave  reproof  was, 
answered  only  by  a  careless  laugh,  but  was  gen 
erally  acquiesced  in  so  far  as  a  momentary  gravity 
of  demeanor  and  staid  carriage  were  concerned.  But 
he  leapt  a  fence  to  draw  from  the  swamp  border  a 
root  of  sweet  calamus,  which  he  washed  and 
trimmed  with  his  knife  as  the  party  proceeded;  he 
stopped  at  the  brook  to  peer  under  the  rude  bridge, 
and  regretted  greatly  that  he  had  no  line  at  hand' 
to  beguile  a  great  trout  which  lay,  just  moving  his 
scarlet-tipped  fins,  under  its  shadow,  and  in  fact  at 
every  moment  showed  howT  much  the  self  repression, 
habitual  to  his  companions,  confined  and  galled  his 
superabundant  and  versatile  nature. 


The    Sabbath  29 


The  Indian  walked  gravely  along  a  little  behind 
the  others,  as  was  his  wont,  but  it  was  evident  that 
nothing  of  the  grand  prospect  around  him,  nor  the 
lightest  sound  that  struck  the  ear,  the  most  trivial 
remark  of  the  brothers,  nor  even  those  slight  facial 
shadows  and  changes  which  to  the  experienced  be 
tray  the  workings  of  the  mind  within,  passed  un 
noticed  by  the  keen,  dark,  restless  eyes,  or  the 
small  ears,  almost  erectile  and  tremulous,  as  phil 
osophers  say  the  organs  of  hearing,  now  fixed  from 
generations  of  confinement  and  disuse,  were  in 
tended  to  be  by  their  Almighty  designer. 

As  for  Stephen,  his  thoughts  were  too  busy  for 
speech,  for  the  scenes  around  him  brought  by  asso 
ciation  and  contrast,  a  flood  of  meditation  of  deep 
and  varied  interest.  Across  yonder  bay,  lying  tran 
quil  and  waveless  in  the  sunlight,  where  he  had 
sailed  as  fisherman,  coasting  captain  and  roving 
privateer,  he  was  soon  to  sail  again  on  a  more  dan 
gerous  errand;  for  umbrageous  oak,  lithe  hickory, 
spreading  orchards  and  harmless  shrubbery,  amid 
which  he  had  labored  and  hunted,  he  was  soon  to 
behold  the  gigantic,  fantastic  and  wonderful  forms 
of  that  tropical  vegetation,  which,  like  the  tree  of 
the  garden,  bore  alike  the  fruit  of  life  and  destruc 
tion.  And,  as  he  was  passed  by  the  heavy  chaise  in 
which  uncle  Zenas  and  his  sister,  with  smiling, 
blushing  Margaret,  drove  by  toward  the  church, 
the  whole  vision  of  wonder,  glory  and  high  emprise 
was  for  a  moment  lost  in  softer  hopes,  and  momen 
tary  regrets  that  the  path  of  duty  ran  far  apart  from 
the  rosy  parterres  of  love. 


30  Cartagena 


But  now,  the  weather-beaten,  square-belfried 
church  was  close  at  hand,  standing  on  a  little  rise  of 
ground,  not  far  removed  from  the  village  street  and 
near  a  deep,  clear,  sinuous  pond,  bordered  with  over 
hanging  trees  and  shrubbery,  on  whose  opposite 
bank  the  founders  of  the  town,  with  the  dead  of  an 
hundred  years,  slept  under  the  feathery  foliage  of 
the  locusts,  and  the  long,  rank  grass  their  ashes  had 
nourished. 

Entering,  they  sat  down  in  the  huge,  square  pew, 
which,  as  one  of  the  deacons  of  the  church  and  the 
substantial  landowners  of  the  district,  the  father  of 
Elisha  Hay  had  occupied  before  him. 

The  son,  now  gray  haired,  sat  in  "the  deacon's 
seat,"  under  the  huge  unornamented  pulpit,  above 
which  the  sounding  board  hung  suspended  by  its 
iron  rods,  and  around  the  walls  on  either  side  to  the 
door  the  border  pews  held  the  assembled  yeomen  of 
the  district.  In  front,  "the  middle  aisle"  was  bor 
dered  on  either  side  by  three  long  pews,  the  first 
on  the  right  of  the  minister  for  deaf  and  aged  men 
and  on  the  left  for  females  thus  afflicted,  while  the 
others  were  free  pews  for  the  poor  and  strangers, 
the  male  and  female  occupants  being  assigned  sepa 
rate  seats  and  divided  by  the  middle  aisle.  Three 
large  pews,  like  the  one  above  spoken  of,  on  either 
side  of  the  aisle,  took  up  the  remainder  of  the  body 
of  the  house. 

In  the  rear  gallery  sat  the  choir,  for  whose  bene 
fit  a  huge  bass  viol,  violoncello,  several  violins  and  a 
bassoon  discoursed  the  music  of  the  old,  time-hon 
ored  psalm  tunes,  while  the  ancient  leader  of  the 


The    Sabbath  31 


choir,  pitchpipe  in  hand,  faced  a  long  array  of  gray 
haired  men,  stout  young  farmers  and  blooming  lass 
es,  who,  we  regret  to  say,  too  often  shot  bewildering 
glances  across  the  dividing  aisle  or  down  into  the 
pews  below.  And  in  either  corner  to  right  and  left, 
in  seats  especially  allotted,  sat  negro  slaves  and 
Indian  apprentices,  for  the  freedom  desired  by  our 
ancestors  was,  in  both  its  religious  and  civil  aspect, 
far  from  catholic  in  its  application,  and  Black  Bill, 
whatever  he  may  have  thought,  would  never  have 
dreamed  of  seating  himself  At  church  with  those 
who  worked  beside  him  in  the  fields  and  ate  with 
him  at  the  same  table. 

The  sermon  was  long,  scholarly  and  exhaustive, 
"reaching  tenthly,"  as  the  old  people  expressed  it, 
but  none  the  less  vital  and  interesting,  for  the  text 
was  taken  from  the  book  of  Neliemiak,  and  his  nar 
rative  of  the  building  of  the  second  temple: 

"And  it  came  to  pass  from  that  time  forth  that 
the  half  of  my  servants  wrought  in  the  work,  and 
the  other  half  of  them  held  both  the  spears,  the 
shields  and  the  bows  and  the  habergeons,  and  the 
rulers  were  behind  all  the  house  of  Judah. 

"They  which  builded  on  the  wall  and  they  that 
bare  burdens  with  those  that  laded,  every  one  with 
one  of  his  hands  wrought  in  the  work  and  with  the 
other  hand  held  a  weapon. 

"For  the  builders  every  one  had  his  sword  girded 
by  his  side  and  so  builded ;  and  he  who  sounded  the 
trumpet  was  by  me." 

The  argument  related  of  course  to  the  building 
up  of  New  England  by  the  descendants  of  the  Pil- 


32  Cartagena 


grims,  and  in  his  artificial  yet  strong  and  manly 
way  the  minister  told  of  the  dark  days  of  the  past 
and  the  wars  with  Narragansett,  Pequot,  Tarratine 
and  Frenchman,  in  which  the  men  of  Massachusetts 
Bay  had  readily  perilled  life  and  limb  for  the  safety 
of  their  firesides,  the  freedom  of  the  seas  and  the 
honor  of  the  king. 

And  although  Samuel  Jennings,  the  town  clerk 
and  treasurer,  looked  ruefully  at  his  maimed  leg, 
cut  off  by  a  huge  shark  in  a  West  Indian  port,  as  he 
essayed  to  desert  from  a  British  man-of-war  on 
board  of  which  he  had  been  cruelly  impressed,  and 
Goodman  Gibbs,  blinded  by  an  Indian  arrow,  and 
homeless  in  his  old  age,  groaned  audibly  at  the  men 
tion  of  "the  savage  enemy,"  nevertheless  the  clarion 
voice  of  the  earnest  preacher  rang  in  the  ears  of  the1 
young  like  a  trumpet,  and  Squire  Kuggles,  as  he 
rose  in  his  seat  to  receive  the  final  benediction,  felt 
that  his  company  would  not  lack  brave  men,  ready 
to  fill  up  the  ranks  and  to  do  their  duty. 

An  hour's  nooning  was  allotted  to  luncheon,  after 
which  another  discourse,  on  less  interesting  topics, 
ended  the  day's  services,  greatly  to  the  relief  of 
Elisha,  whom  neither  the  frowns  of  his  father  nor 
the  fear  of  the  tithing  man's  rod  of  office  could  keep 
awake,  so  sultry  was  the  heat,  and  so  monotonously 
did  the  voice  of  the  minister  mingle  with  the  hum 
of  insect  life  in  the  sunlight  out  of  doors. 

Then  followed  the  walk  homeward,  the  hearty  early 
supper,  to  atone  for  long  fasting  save  for  the  slight 
lunch  eaten  on  the  shore  of  the  pond,  under  the 
shade  of  a  huge  willow,  and  then  the  cattle  were 


The    Sabbath  33 


called  to  the  milking,  the  other  stock  cared  for  and 
fed,  and  as  the  sun  set  the  Sabbath  ended,  and 
worldly  cares  and  earthly  hopes  again  engrossed  the 
thoughts  of  the  household  at  Ploughed  Neck. 

Then  Stephen  walked  again  across  the  fields  as 
the  sun's  last  beams  gilded  the  distant  cliffs  of  Ma- 
nomet,  and  this  time  little  thought  of  military  glory, 
or  fear  of  coming  oblivion,  mingled  with  his 
meditations.  Often  before  he  had  threaded  the  narrow 
footpath  that  led  to  the  sunny  dwelling  of  the  re 
tired  sea  captain,  but  without  such  hopes  as  now 
cheered  him  on  his  lover's  errand,  for  the  goddess 
he  had  worshipped  was  a  fickle,  merry-hearted  little 
deity,  whom  he  had  often  deemed  more  propitious 
and  accessible  to  the  careless  merriment  and  heed 
less  gallantries  of  his  mischievous  brother,  than  to 
his  own  deep  and  unpresuming  devotion. 

But  to-night  his  eyes  caught  the  shimmer  of  her 
white  dress  beside  the  well  curb,  and  his  heart 
leaped  like  a  charging  war  horse  as  he  caught  the 
sweet  words  of  her  welcome. 

"I  have  waited  for  you,"  she  said  simply,  "though 
I  feared  you  would  not  come,  for  I  owe  you  so  much 
and  I  have  deserved  so  little,"  and  as  in  a  dream  he 
clasped  her  proffered  hand,  and  beneath  the  late- 
blossoming  trees  passed  down  through  to  the  grass- 
bordered  pathway. 

At  the  door  sat  Uncle  Zenas^ enjoying  his  evening 
pipe;  and  Aunt  Lucina,  quietly  knitting,  sprang  up 
to  welcome  the  young  man,  and  led  the  way  into  the 
keeping-room,  odorous  of  camphor  and  sandal  wood, 
covered  a  a  to  the  floor  with  Canton  mattings  and 


34  .Cartagena 


wonderful  rugs  of  home-made  woolen,  and  orna 
mented  with  souvenirs  of  many  an  adventurous 
voyage. 

Teeth  of  the  whale,  "scrimshawed"  or  etched  with 
rude  but  spirited  pictures  of  the  death  throes  of  the 
huge  animal  from  whose  terrible  lower  jaw  they  had 
been  taken,  canes  curiously  made  of  the  spinal 
column  of  the  shark,  or  of  tropical  woods  and  whale 
ivory,  and  slender  riding  wands  of  baleen  or  whale 
bone,  with  beautiful  feather  flowrers  from  the  Azores, 
wonderful  lacework  from  the  convents  of  Manila, 
rare  shells  from  desert  islands  of  the  Pacific,  curious 
weapons  and  a  few  bits  of  silversmith's  work,  cov 
ered  the  long,  narrow  mantel-shelf,  and  the  iron- 
wood  teapoys  and  heavy  brass-mounted  writing 
desk. 

"Sit  down,  Stephen,  and  make  yerself  to  home,  for 
thene  ain't  no  livin'  man  more  welcome  than  you  be," 
and,  giving  a  wonderfully  shining  chair  a  superflu 
ous  rub  with  her  apron,  the  little  woman  caught  up 
a  small  waiter,  drew  the  other  corner  of  her  apron 
across  her  eyes  and  left  the  apartment. 

"Thet's  so,  Steve,"  said  Uncle  Zenas,  giving  the 
young  man's  hand  a  grip  that  nearly  brought  the 
tears  to  his  eyes.  "The  old  man  came  very  near  los 
ing  the  number  of  his  mess,  as  the  reg'lar  old  sea 
dogs  say,  an'  I  ain't  goin'  to  forget  it." 

"There,  there!"  sa>id  the  young  man,  hastily. 
"Don't  talk  of  it,  Uncle  Zenas.  You've  often  done^ 
as  much  for  strangers,  and  would  luw  done  as 
much  for  us  had  our  boat  capsized  on  the  bar.  By 
the  way,  Black  Bill  will  go  down  to  the  creek  and 


The    Sabbath  35 


bail  your  dory  out  to-morrow,  for  while  we  helped 
you  home  he  got  her  as  she  came  in  with  the  tide." 

"Wai,  wal !  you're  certainly  right  about  one  thing, 
an'  thet  is  thet  I've  tried  to  do  my  duty  when  any 
poor  mortal  was  strugglin'  with  the  waves;  an',  ah's 
me!  how  many  despairin'  wretches  I've  seen  go  to 
leeward  when  none  could  help  an'  even  a  parting 
cry  could  not  be  heard.  But  thet  don't  change  the 
matter  between  us,  or  lessen  my  debt;  an'  I'm  your 
debtor,  boy,  henceforrad,  an'  shel  be  glad  to  begin 
to  pay  up  any  time  thet  you  want  anything  I  hev 
to  give,  lend  or  bestow." 

At  this  juncture  Miss  Lucina  entered  with  the 
little  tray,  on  which  were  arrayed  a  curiously  cut 
and  gilded  decanter  of  Dantzic  liqueur,  with  tiny 
French  glasses,  and  a  plate  of  cake,  wrhich  latter  she 
was  famed  for  making  throughout  the  county. 

In  those  day£  no  one  refused  such  refreshment, 
and  they  sipped  the  oily,  honey-like  cordial,  and  ate 
the  rich  cake,  heavy  with  fruit  and  frosting,  while 
Aunt  Lucina  kept  up  a  running  commentary  on  the 
viands : 

"Xow,  don't  stent  yeself  on  thet  cake,  Stephie,  f er 
ef  I  say  it  as  shouldn't  say  it,  there's  no  better  made 
in  the  county;  an'  when  Squire  Ruggles  married  she 
thet  was  Bathsheba  Newcomb,  nothin'  would  do  but 
I  must  mix  the  big  cake  an'  I  do  think  thet  this  same 
cake  we  are  eatin'  is  ruther  the  best  of  the  two." 

"It's  good  enough  for  the  king,"  said  the  young 
man,  warmly  "and  I  hope,  if  ever  I'm  married,  that 
you'll  make  one  just  like  it  for  me." 

"Thet  she  shell,"  said  her  brother  heartily.    "An' 


36  Cartagena 


ez  fer  the  cordial,  thet  shan't  be  wantin'  either,  fer 
I've  a  half  a  dozen  cases  thet  never  was  opened.  1 
bought  them  down  to  Jamaiky  out  of  a  French  brig 
brought  in  by  a  privateer,  an'  the  gov'nor  hasn't  a 
drop  like  it  in  the  cellars  of  the  Province  House,  I'll 
be  bound." 

Thus  the  old  people  gossiped  until  the  clock  struck 
nine,  when  uncle  Zenas  and  his  sister  retired,  for 
such  were  the  early  hours  kept  by  our  forefathers  in 
the  rural  settlements. 

Half  an  hour  later,  Stephen  parted  from  Margaret 
at  the  porch  door,  for  the  dews  were  falling  heavily 
and  he  would  not  permit  her  to  go  with  him  to  the 
gate  beside  the  ancient  well  sweep.  Her  eyes  were 
bright  with  tears  and  her  lips  trembled,  as  she  smil 
ingly  twined  her  slight  arms  around  Stephen's  neck 
and  laid  her  darks  locks  against  the  golden  curls  of 
her  lover.  ^ 

"You  are  not  sorry  that  you  have  promised  me, 
are  you,  dearest?"  asked  the  young  man  simply.  "If 
you  are,  I  shall  never  hold  you  to  your  promise,  and 
you  are  free." 

"Why  do  you  ask?"  she  said  in  surprise.  "You 
cannot  surely  love  me  since  you  could  part  with  me 
so  easily." 

"Do  not  mistake  me,  darling,"  he  answered,  with 
a  faint  tremor  in  his  deep,  low  tones,  "I  prize  you 
above  all  earthly  things,  and  death  alone  shall  part 
us,  unless  you  so  will  it.  But  I  love  you  better  than 
myself;  yes,  even  enough  to  lose  you,  should  your 
happiness  demand  it." 

"That  can  never  be,"  said  Margaret  gently,  "for  I 


Tin*    Sabbath  37 


could  never  hope  to  find  one  so  handsome  and  brave 
and  generous,  and  I  know  that  I  shall  never  regret 
my  loving  you.  Only  I  do  feel  that  you  are  too  good 
and  noble  for  uie." 

And  therein  she  spake  the  truth,  but  the  time 
had  not  yet  come  for  either  to  realize  that  between 
the  pretty,  spoiled  child  and  the  grand,  passionate, 
yet  self-devoted  nature  she  had  enthralled,  there 
could  never  be  perfect  union,  or  the  well-founded 
and  mutual  appreciation  and  sympathy,  which 
alone  can  strengthen  and*  develop  that  wonderful 
germ  of  mutual  attraction,  whose  perfect  growth  is 
love. 

But  Stephen  went  homeward,  looking  longingly 
behind  him,  as  long  as  he  could  see  through  the  foli 
age  the  white-robed  form  in  the  sumach-shaded 
porch;  while  Margaret,  when  her  lover's  receding 
figure  was  lost  in  the  darkness,  went  to  her  room 
and,  seated  by  the  open  window,  thought  over  the 
events  of  the  last  two  days,  and  the  change  her  en 
gagement  of  an  hour  ago  w7ould  work  in  her  life. 

"Father  will  be  delighted,"  she  soliloquized,  as  the 
murmur  of  the  distant  sea  came  up  across  the  inun 
dated  marshes.  "Aunt  Lucina  has  always  teased 
me  to  take  Stephen,  and  all  the  other  girls  will  be 
as  jealous  as  can  be;  but  what  will  Lish  say  now?" 
and  the  fair  speaker,  as  she  rose  to  retire  for  the 
night,  sighed  as  if  her  joy  wras  not  altogether  un- 
iningled  with  doubts  for  the  future. 


Chapter   IV. 
Beating   Up   Recruits 

A  fortnight  later,  the  governor's  proclamation 
had  been  promulgated  by  press  and  pulpit,  and  the 
following  gentlemen  appointed  captains  of  as  many 
companies  to  be  raised  in  their  respective  sections, 
each  company  to  consist  of  one  hundred  and  one 
rank  and  file,  with  four  commissioned  officers;  a 
captain,  first  and  second  lieutenants,  and  ensign  to 
each. 

Major  Ammi  Kuhamah  Wise  of  Ipswich,  Colonel 
John  Prescott  of  Concord,  Daniel  Goffe,  Stephen 
Richards,  Thomas  Philips,  John  Furney  and  Dr. 
George  Stewart  of  Boston,  Win.  Phipps  of  Cam 
bridge,  Joshua  Barker  of  Pembroke,  and  as  Deacon 
Hay  had  never  doubted,  Timothy  Kuggles,  the  land 
lord-lawyer  of  Newcomb's  tavern,  were  the  men 
chosen  to  receive  the  commissions,  which  his  grac 
ious  majesty  King  George  the  Second,  had  been 
pleased  to  send  in  blank  to  the  royal  governors  and 
other  influential  personages,  who  were  to  raise  in 
America  a  contingent  of  at  least  3000  men. 

Of  this  large  force  the  legislators,  influenced  by 
the  executive  of  the  "Province  of  Massachusetts 
Bay,"  determined  to  raise  one  third,  and  to  that  end 
offered  a  bounty  of  five  pounds  of  the  somewhat  de 
preciated  currency  of  the  colony,  and  sundry  other 
provisions  for  the  comfort  of  its  soldiers,  unknown 
in  the  more  frugal  administration  of  the  regular  ser 
vice. 


Beating  Up  Recruits  39 

The  news  reached  the  quiet  household  at 
Ploughed  Neck  even  before  its  announcement  from 
the  pulpit,  and  the  tardy  coming  of  the  Newsletter; 
for  at  least  two  days  before  the  arrival  of  the  mail, 
the  family  just  then  about  to  retire  for  the  night, 
heard  the  hoofs  of  the  galloping  steed  as  he  emerged 
from  the  sandy  lane  upon  the  level  sward  before  the 
house. 

"It  is  Squire  Ruggles'  Beelzebub,"  said  the  Indian 
apprentice. 

The  hoofbeats,  suddenly  interrupted,  stopped  close 
to  the  door,  as  the  rough-rider's  hand  bore  too 
heavily  on  the  strong  curb,  and  the  black  stallion 
rearing  almost  upright,  planted  his  fore  feet  heavily 
on  the  rough  walk  of  flat  stones,  and  Ruggles,  low 
ering  his  bridle  hand,  relaxed  the  pressure  and 
flung  himself  out  of  the  saddle  just  as  the  elder  Hay 
and  the  male  members  of  the  family  appeared  at  the 
door. 

"Your  pardon,  Deacon  Hay,  for  a  second  untimely 
visit,  but  this  business  of  the  West  Indian  expedi 
tion  is  ever  vexatious  at  every  turn,  and  I  have  come 
since  last  night  from  Boston;  yet  have  not  even 
staid  at  home  for  needful  refreshments,  for  I  would 
press  the  raising  of  my  company  as  fast  as  may  be 
without  loss  of  a  day." 

"But  wherefore  such  haste?"  said  the  senior  Hay, 
in  his  deliberate,  sententious  way.  "You  have  doubt 
less  the  appointment  of  the  governor  and  the  ap 
proval  of  the  general  court." 

"There  may  be  no  trouble,"  said  the  captain,  quiet 
ly,  "but  there  were  but  three  thousand  men  re- 


40  Cartagena 


quired,  and  the  governor  seems  determined  that  the 
Massachusetts  Bay  shall  furnish  one-third  thereof. 
I  know  that  they  of  New  York,  Virginia  and  the 
Jerseys  will  not  readily  let  ten  commissions  issue 
among  us;  and  he  who  first  raises  his  company  will 
outrank  the  others,  and  be  surest  of  receiving  his 
captaincy." 

While  he  was  speaking  Black  Bill  (or  William 
TJntequit,  as  we  shall  henceforth  call  him)  had 
brought  out  a  measure  of  grain  for  the  horse,  a  ser: 
vice  which  Ruggles,  as  he  smilingly  relinquished  the 
loose  rein,  would  have  rewarded  by  the  gift  of  a  sil 
ver  pistareen,  but  Untequit  shook  his  head  gravely 
and  said,  "Not  now,  for  you  are  my  captain  hence 
forward." 

"Well  said,  man,"  said  Ruggles,  earnestly. 
"Would  I  had  an  hundred  such  now  on  my  list. 
Stephen,  you  of  course  are  still  of  the  same  mind? 
Nay,  friend  Hay,  trouble  not  the  women  with  get 
ting  refreshment  at  this  late  hour.  Give  me  but  r, 
slice  of  bread  and  cheese  and  a  draught  of  milk,  and 
I  shall  do  as  well  as  the  good  steed  yonder  until  I 
am  at  home  again." 

"I  am  at  your  service,  captain,"  said  Stephen,  "and 
to-morrow  will  begin  to  beat  up  for  recruits  if  you 
command.  Untequit  goes  with  me,  and  if  you  would 
have  Indians,  can  get  you  a  score  that  can  shoot  to 
a  hand's  breadth,  and  trail  as  subtly  as  the  Tarra- 
tines  themselves." 

"And  I  will  go  too,"  said  Elisha,  coming  forward. 

"Oh  no!  my  son,"  said  his  mother  sadly;  "surely 
two  of  our  household,  and  one  of  our  blood,  are 


Beating  Up  Recruits  41 

enough  to  risk  in  so  long  and  dangerous  an  adven 
ture,  and  then  your  father  needs  your  aid,  for  the 
farm  work  must  suffer  sadly  even  as  it  is." 

"Do  not  be  hasty,  my  son,"  said  his  father  in  tones 
that,  despite  his  habitual  self-repression,  showed 
that  he  was  both  astonished  and  grieved  at  his  son's 
determination;  "I  will  not  stand  in  the  way  of 
whatsoever  seemeth  to  be  duty,  but  all  are  not  called 
to  do  battle,  and  some  must  stay  by  the  stuff  and 
labor,  that  the  soldier  faint  not  for  want  of  food." 

"I  ought  not  to  discourage  so  promising  a  recruit, 
I  confess,"  said  Buggies  sympathetically,  "but  I  do 
think,  madam,  that  two  men  are  more  than  your 
share  of  those  set  apart  to  serve  His  Majesty,  the 
King.  It  may  be  that  Elisha  will  think  differently 
on  the  morrow,  and,  in  that  case,  I  shall  not  think 
of  him  any  less  worthily,  for  I  know,  if  he  feels  in 
this  matter  as  I  do,  it  will  be  greater  hardship  to 
stay  than  to  go;  and  I  will  not  try  to  induce  him 
to  act  against  your  wishes.  Nevertheless,  friend 
Hay,  you  should  have  been  wiser  than  to  have 
trained  up  such  sons,  all  willing  and  able  to  worth 
ily  serve  and  honor  the  king." 

"You  are  kind,  Esquire  Buggies,"  said  Hay  with 
sudden  warmth,  "and  I  repent  me  of  past  coldness 
and  uncharitable  thought.  What  I  may,  I  will  do  to 
help  you,  for  you  can  feel  for  a  father's  anxieties 
and  a  mother's  tears.  Yet  the  will  of  God  be  done," 
he  added  resolutely;  "for  I  will  never  stand  in  the 
way,  when  we  must  needs  fight  against  the  enemies 
of  the  king  and  the  bloody  persecutors  of  the  Pro 
testant  church." 


42  Cartagena 


Buggies  produced  au  ample  wallet,  from  which 
he  drew  a  roll  of  the  paper  "bills  of  credit,"  cur 
rent  at  that  day,  and,  selecting  a  roll,  handed  them 
with  a  receipt  ready  for  signature  to  the  young  vol 
unteer.  "There,  friend  Stephen  (lieutenant  I  hope 
to  call  you  ere  long),  are  thirty  pounds.  Each  man 
is  to  have  five  pounds  for  bounty,  in  addition  to 
arms,  clothing  and  accoutrements,  such  as  are  is 
sued  to  the  royal  army,  and  the  subsistence  of  the 
men  begins  on  the  day  of  enlistment.  Spare  not  for 
labor  of  man  or  beast,  and,  if  you  will,  take  Untequit 
with  you  to  Mashpee,  and  send  the  men  to  me  at 
Sandwich  towrn  as  soon  as  may  be." 

The  receipt  was  duly  signed  and  Kuggles  sprang 
into  the  saddle,  but  suddenly  drew7  rein  and  beck 
oned  to  Stephen  to  draw  near ;  as  he  did  so,  he  said 
in  tones  so  low  that  no  one  else  could  hear,  "I  want 
not  any  who  are  weak  of  body  or  cowrardly  at  heart, 
neither  would  I  tempt  any  with  strong  liquors  to 
do  that  which  they  may  hereafter  repent  of.  Still  it 
has  been  the  custom  to  suitably  refresh  and  treat 
such  as  are  loyal  enough  to  proffer  their  lives  in  the 
king's  service,  and  I  would  not  be  thought  ungen 
erous  or  mean.  But  you  will  know  how  to  act  best 
in  this  matter,  so  good  night  and  God  speed  you  in 
your  errand,"  and  setting  spurs  to  his  horse  he  was 
soon  out  of  sight  and  hearing. 

"He  spares  not  himself  or  his  horse  either,"  said 
Hay  slowly,  "and  I  see  well  that  whosoever  marches 
under  him  will  not  lack  service." 

"That  is  the  best  kind  to  serve  under,"  said 
Stephen  joyously,  "for  such  dare  not  let  their  men 


Beating  Up  Recruits  43 

suffer,  lest  when  they  would  do  more  than  others, 
they  lack  support  by  reason  of  neglect,  sickness  or. 
poor  equipment ;  but  your  easy  good-natured  man  is 
a  curse  to  any  service." 

The  next  day  was  spent  among  the  neighboring 
farmers  and  the  sailors  of  the  little  port,  two  of 
whom  added  their  names  to  the  roll  already  headed 
by  Stephen  arid  his  servant,  for  in  such  capacity 
Untequit  chose  to  serve.  In  the  next  week  seventeen 
more  were  added,  and  a  day  later  Stephen  and  his 
servant  took  horse  and  rode  into  the  forest  toward 
the  Indian  settlement  at  Mashpee. 

The  woods  of  mingled  pine,  oak  and  hickory  were 
in  their  full  beauty,  and  as  they  rode  slowly  along 
in  the  cool  shadows  of  the  narrow  forest  roads  they 
talked  much  of  the  future,  and  their  coming  soldier 
life. 

"Why  is  it,  Bill,  that  you  do  not  enlist  as  a  vol 
unteer,  and  not  as  a  servant?"  asked  Stephen,  as 
they  rode  along. 

"Master  Stephen,"  said  the  Indian,  with  some 
emotion,  "you  have  always  treated  me  like  a  man; 
yes,  as  if  I  were  of  your  own  blood,  and  I  wrould  go 
to  the  war  for  your  sake,  even  if  I  had  no  other  end 
to  serve.  As  a  servant  I  can  be  with  you  more,  and 
serve  you  better,  but  I  will  never  be  such  to  any 
other  were  it  the  king  himself." 

"We  are  all  servants  of  the  king,"  said  Stephen, 
gently,  "and  there  are  at  all  times  those  whom 
every  man  must,  for  the  time,  respect  and  obey. 
Nevertheless  I  shall  never  forget  your  love,  and  if 
we  seem  to  others  master  and  servant,  it  shall  be 


44  Cartagena 


only  that  we  may  be  nearer  and  truer  comrades," 
and  each  took  the  hand  of  the  other  in  token  of 
fealty. 

"But  what  is  this  mysterious  matter  that  you 
spoke  of  a  moment  ago?  What  else  but  the  king's 
service  urges  you  to  go  with  us?" 

As  Stephen  spoke,  Untequit  suddenly  halted  by 
the  wood-side,  and  pointed  to  a  mossy  boulder  a 
little  away  under  the  shadow  of  some  saplings, 
which  appeared  to  have  sprung,  for  the  most  part, 
from  a  large  stump  already  far  gone  in  decay,  and 
as  he  spoke  his  voice  was  broken,  and  a  variety  of 
emotions  seemed  striving  for  utterance. 

"That  I  may  not  tell,  even  to  you  master  Stephen, 
except- on  one  condition,  and  that,  I  fear,  you  would 
think  foolish  or  worse;  yet  chiefs  have  stood  under 
yonder  oak,  and  thus  promised  friendship  and  aid 
to  each  other." 

"What  do  you  mean,  Will?"  asked  Stephen,  in 
surprise. 

"You  whites,"  said  the  Indian,  with  some  bitter 
ness,  "think  illy  of  us  because  we  cannot  change 
the  traditions  and  customs  of  our  race,  and,  taking 
up  those  of  the  white  man,  add  land  to  land,  and 
cattle  to  cattle:  and,  indeed,  as  we  see  the  game 
grow  scarcer,  and  even  the  rivers  and  sea  plundered 
of  their  fish,  we  grow  fewer,  poorer,  and  lose  heart, 
until  many  believe  us  not  only  poor  white  men,  but 
poorer  Indians,  spiritless,  and  ignorant  even  of  the 
history  and  traditions  of  our  fathers. 

"But  there  is  no  Indian  so  low,  that  the  stories  told 
by  our  old  people  do  not  move  him;  none  so  ignorant, 


Beating  Up  Recruits  4r> 

that  they  do  not  carry  in  their  minds  the  words 
spoken  to  them  in  childhood,  for  we  who  for  the 
most  part  know  little  of  books,  carry  all  that  we 
learn  in  our  hearts.  But  you  are  not  like  other 
white  men,  and  you  wish  to  know  why  I  would  go 
yonder,  do  you  not?"  and  as  he  spoke  the  red  man 
pointed  to  the  south. 

"I  confess  I  would  like  to  know,  and  I  think  you 
can  trust  me  to  keep  your  secret,"  said  Stephen,  con 
fidently. 

"I  would  trust  you  with  my  life,  but  the  secret  is 
not  mine  to  give,  except  you  will  bind  yourself  as  I 
have  been  bound,  by  the  bond  of  blood." 

"What  do  you  mean,  Untequit?"  asked  Stephen, 
sternly.  "What  old  time  sorcery  would  you  teach  a 
Christian  man;  or  has  some  unhappy  witch-wife  of 
your  people  deluded  you  into  forbidden  practices?" 

"Master,"  said  Untequit,  coldly,  "come  with  me 
to  yonder  stone,  and  I  will  explain  to  you  the  nature 
of  what  our  fathers  called  the  bond  of  blood.  It  is 
nearly  noon  and  the  sun  is  hot.  It  will  not  hurt 
the  horses  to  cool  a  moment  after  that  steep  hill  and 
sandy  level,  and  I  should  like  to  show  you  some 
thing  that  no  white  man  every  knew  or  saw  before." 

Stephen  acceded,  and  alighting  the  men  pene 
trated  the  intervening  underbrush  and  stood  in  the 
little  natural  alcove,  overhung  by  arched  saplings, 
beside  the  mossgrown  rock,  one  of  those  wrorn  and 
water-rounded  boulders  which  some  ancient  sweep 
of  glacier  or  drift  of  iceberg  had  left  there  ages  be 
fore.  Untequit  removed  his  hat  and  bowed  his  head 
above  it,  saying  something  unintelligible  to  his  com- 


46  Cartagena 


panion  the  while,  but  the  words  ran  in  a  wild  but 
regular  rhythm,  and  Stephen  rightly  judged  that 
they  constituted  a  part  or  the  whole  of  some  for 
mula  of  Indian  invocation,  adjuration  or  worship. 

"Beneath  this  stone,"  said  Untequit,  "lie  the 
bones  of  a  great  chief,  a  friend  of  the  whites,  but 
the  victim  of  their  hasty  anger;  who  died  of  ex 
posure  and  want  of  food,  sick  and  a  fugitive,  and 
was  buried  far  from  the  ashes  of  his  village  and  his 
wasted  cornfields.  Over  his  grave,  his  descendants 
have  plighted  their  faith  in  love  and  friendship,  and 
the  secrets  of  his  house  can  be  known  to  those  only 
who  are  of  our  race,  or  become  of  it  by  the  'bond  of 
blood'  of  which  I  spoke." 

"And  what  do  you  mean  by  the  'bond  of  blood'? 
Methinks,  Untequit,  to  a  Christian  man  it  savors,  as, 
I  said  before,  somewhat  of  sorcery  or  the  like." 

"We  have  little  faith  in  witches,"  said  the  Indian 
disdainfully,  "unless  those  are  witches,  who  by  vigil 
and  fasting  attain  to  a  closer  knowledge  of  those 
things  which  most  people  overlook.  But  to  be 
brief,  what  I  would  have  of  you,  is  this.  Let  us 
exchange  blood,  and  I  can  then  tell  you  the  secrets 
of  the  living  and  the  purposes  I  hold." 

"Exchange  blood,"  said  Stephen,  wonderingly, 
"how  can  that  be  done?" 

As  he  spoke,  he  felt  a  slight  puncture  in  his  arm, 
and  raising  it  saw  that  a  thorn  had  wounded  his 
wrist,  on  which  stood  a  few  drops  of  blood;  and 
the  next  moment  felt  it  seized  bv  his  companion, 
who  with  his  lips  cleansed  the  wound  and  bound  it 
up  with  his  neckerchief. 


Beating  Up  Recruits  47 

"I  am  of  your  blood  now,  master,"  said  the  Indian 
exult  ingly,  as  he  drew  from  his  side  a  keen  knife 
and  with  its  point  scored  his  own  fore-arm,  until  the 
red  drops  chased  each  other  over  the  rounded 
muscles  like  raindrops  on  a  blade  of  grass.  "Taste 
but  one  drop  of  this  blood,  and  we  are  one  in  race, 
for  our  veins  will  have  mingled,  and  who  can  prove 
false  to  his  own  blood?" 

For  a  moment  Stephen  hesitated.  A  natural  re 
pugnance  to  so  savage  a  rite  almost  nauseated  him, 
and  he  wras  about  to  refuse  peremptorily  and  for 
ever.  The  Indian  read  his  look,  a  deep  dejection  re 
placed  his  former  exulting  attitude  and,  before 
Stephen  could  answer,  he  swept  away  the  drops  and 
with  a  bandage  stopped  the  flow  of  blood. 

"Forgive  me,  master,"  said  he  sadly,  "if  I  have 
offended.  Your  traditions  are  not  ours,  and  neither 
should  be  angry  at  the  other  for  holding  the  belief 
of  his  fathers.  Nevertheless,  believe  me,  I  would 
almost  that  I  were  dead,  since  we  cannot  be  in  all 
things  of  one  mind  and  knowledge,  that  you  may 
help  me  as  I  will  serve  you." 

"Untequit,"  said  his  companion,  much  moved,  "I 
would  not  be  unkind;  nay,  I  will  help  you  blindly 
in  all  things  you  may  ask,  if  I  wrong  no  one  thereby, 
but  this  thing  seems  to  me  unnatural,  and  beyond 
what  a  man  may  do  even  for  his  friend.  Is  it  neces 
sary  this  should  be  done  now  and  done  here,  or  can. 
I  please  you  in  this  matter  hereafter,  if  that  I  see 
reason  to  repent  of  my  refusal?" 

"It  matters  not,"  said  the  Indian,  sadly,  "when 
promises  are  made,  or  rather  uttered,  but  it  would 


48  Cartagena 


have  advantaged  us  and  you  much,  had  you  been 
willing  to  please  me  in  this  matter.  Still  you  are  not 
of  those  who  will  turn  from  belief  because  of  gain, 
and  perhaps  it  may  be  that  you  will  not  lose  by  your 
refusal.  Certainly  it  will  not  be  by  my  choice  if  you 
do;  so  let  us  go  to  Mashpee  and  forget  the  cloud 
that  has  come  between  us." 

So  in  amity  they  resumed  their  journey,  and  rode 
by  copses  of  sassafras,  thickets  of  brier  and  whortle 
berry,  ponds  shaded  by  vine-hung  woods  and 
clumps  of  sweet  flowered  elder  and  climbing  clema 
tis,  until  from  a  higher  ridge  they  caught  a  glimpse 
of  the  "Southern  Sea,"  and  found  themselves  in  the 
Indian  settlement  of  Mashpee. 

Here  the  remainder  of  the  tribes,  once  ruled  by 
the  luckless  lyanough,  had  for  over  a  generation 
been  gathered,  and  although  sadly  diminished  in 
numbers  from  the  thronging  hundreds  who  in  the 
earlier  part  of  the  seventeenth  century  had  fought 
with  Champlain  and  Poitrincourt  at  Chatham  and 
Nauset,  still  formed  a  community  which  in  every  war 
had  furnished  many  staunch  warriors  to  the  forces 
of  Massachusetts. 

Here  they  parted,  Stephen  to  keep  on  to  Falmouth 
and  Edgartown,  where  Captain  Ruggles  had  already 
commenced  the  enlistment  of  recruits;  and  on  his 

return  the  next  day  came  into  S with  half  a 

dozen  fishermen  and  young  farmers,  although  be  it 
said,  each  could  be  either  farmer  or  sailor,  as  is  still 
the  manner  of  men  among  the  amphibious  people  of 
those  shores. 

But  Untequit,  late  on  the  night  of  his  arrival,  sat 


Beating  Up  Recruits  49 

by  the  hearth  of  a  small  log  cabin,  opposite  a  woman 
whose  whitened  hair,  fleshless  limbs,  hollow  fea 
tures,  and  corrugated  skin,  gave  evidence  of  an  ex 
istence  long  protracted  beyond  the  ordinary  life  of 
mortals. 

As  he  finished  his  story  of  the  events  of  the  past 
few  days,  his  hostess  raised  her  head  and  revealed  a 
countenance  noble  even  in  its  wreck  of  beauty,  and 
lit  up  by  keen  black  eyes  which  seemed  to  pierce 
into  the  very  soul  of  her  companion.  "He  refused 
then?  And  you  have  not  told  him  all?  Are  our 
young  men  to  leave  life,  and  home,  and  friends,  and 
return  no  more  for  his  sake?" 

"What  mean  you,  grandmother?"  asked  Untequit, 
"who  but  God  knows  the  future?" 

"None,  boy !  none !"  said  the  aged  svbil  with  flash 
ing  eyes ;  "yet  those  who  live  until  all  they  knew  and 
loved  in  youth  are  long  dead  have  strange  fancies 
that  are  not  always  dreams,  and  I  feel  my  heart 
grow  faint  within  me  as  I  think  of  the  men  you  will 
lead  southward  to  their  death.  But  your  master  is 
true,  think  you,  nevertheless?" 

"I  would  lay  my  life  on  his  word,"  said  the  young 
man  vehemently. 

"Then  he  must  have  the  men,  that  is  those  who 
have  no  wives  or  children  to  weep  for  their  loss ;  but, 
had  he  done  as  we  wished,  he  should  have  a  score 
more  that  would  have  been  missed  sadly  in  the  com 
ing  time." 

"And  I,  shall  I — "  The  young  man  hesitated,  but 
the  woman  took  up  the  question  before;  he  could 
finish. 


50  Cartagena 


"Do  you  ask  in  fear,  or  from  curiosity  to  know 
what  •  most  men  shrink  from  knowing?"  she  asked 
keenly. 

"I  do  not  fear  death,"  was  the  answer,  "but  I 
would  know  if  I  shall  live  to  bring  him  back  to  his 
home  and  his  mother." 

"I  cannot  tell,"  she  said,  after  a  pause,  "but  I  feel 
no  fear  but  that  I  shall  live  to  hear  from  your  lips 
how  you  have  fared  in  your  search.  Oh,  Un- 
tequit!  grandchild  of  my  son,  last  of  all  the  race  of 
Caneotus,  do  not  forget  what  you  have  sworn  by  the 
bond  of  blood  and  the  graves  of  your  fathers;  only 
promise  me  this  and  your  white  master  shall  not 
want  braves  to  stand  before  him  in  battle." 

"I  will  not  forget  it,"  said  the  young  Indian.  And, 
by  the  end  of  that  wyeek,  ten  dusky  rangers  of  Mash- 
pee  had  added  to  the  roll  of  the  company  such  sur 
names  as  lawannut,  Mantwammuch,  Quaron,  Pome- 
tuck,  Webquish,  Cottowaw  and  Suonish,  names 
which,  for  the  most  part,  no  longer  appear  on  the 
slate  tombstones  around  the  ancient  forest  church 
at  Mashpee. 

So,  day  by  day,  the  indefatigable  Captain  Bug 
gies  and  his  assistants  beat  up  recruits,  from  East- 
ham  to  Plymouth  until  the  tale  was  nearly  com 
pleted  and  the  company  ordered  to  Boston. 

And,  in  spite  of  his  father's  entreaties  and  his 
mother's  and  sister's  tears,  Elisha  Hay  had  still  per 
sisted  in  his  purpose  to  take  part  in  the  Great  Expe* 
dition,  against  the  King  of  Spain's  dominions  in  the 
West  Indies. 


Chapter  V. 
"Old    Hewson" 

It  was  about  the  middle  of  August,  and  only  a  few 
days  before  the  final  muster  of  the  enlisted  men  at 

S ,  preparatory  to  their  march  to  Boston,  that 

Stephen,  after  a  long  day  of  wearisome  endeavor, 
was  on  the  way  homeward  in  the  early  twilight,  and 
having  looked  in  vain  for  any  neighbor  going  in  his 
direction,  set  out  on  foot. 

Diverging  from  the  main  road  he  turned  into  a 
rustic  byway,  winding  along  the  base  of  a  sandy 
eminence,  on  whose  summit  stood  a  large  building 
with  many  square  windows  and  an  unornamental 
porch,  into  which  two  doors  gave  access,  and  on 
either  side  of  which  a  long  row  of  horse-sheds,  form 
ing  the  eastern  boundary  of  a  rural  burying  ground, 
told  that  the  edifice,  although  plain  and  unornamen 
tal  even  to  the  point  of  ugliness,  was  nevertheless  a 
house  of  worship  and  erected  in  honor  of  the  Most 
High. 

As  he  came  nearer,  the  road  wound  along  the 
verge  of  a  large  swamp,  from  whose  tangled  vegeta 
tion  came  the  confused  chattering  of  many  birds, 
and  on  its  western  side  upon  a  slope  shaded  by  apple 
trees  and  bordered  by  a  luxuriant  meadow  stood  a 
small  dwelling,  even  at  that  day  bearing  the  marks 
of  decay  on  the  cedar  shingles  which  covered  roof 
and  walls. 

The  occupant  of  the  cottage  sat  alone  on  the  broad 


52  Cartagena 


flat  stone  which  served  as  a  doorstep,  a  man  whose 
age  showed  itself  in  the  whiteness  of  his  unkempt 
hair  and  shaggy  beard,  but  could  not  render  vener 
able  the  still  burly,  long  armed  and  short  limbed 
body  and  fiery  visage  of  a  man,  whose  antecedents 
to  say  the  least  were  questionable,  and  whose  mys 
terious,  unsocial  and  eccentric  mode  of  life  had 
made  him  a  veritable  hermit,  a  source  of  fear  to 
child  and  maiden,  and  the  subject  of  much  invidious 
discourse  throughout  the  country. 

He  had  suddenly  appeared  one  night  in  the  little 
hamlet,  accompanied  by  a  huge  negro,  whose  gay 
neckerchief,  gold  ear-rings  and  unutterable  profan 
ity  told  unmistakably  of  a  seafaring  life,  and  had 
sought  to  hire  the  cottage  of  its  owner,  a  mild,  staid 
man,  whose  rustic  curiosity  and  prudent  inquiries  as 
to  references  had  been  answered  by  irreverent  blas 
phemy,  and  a  proposition  characteristic  of  all  the 
after-carriage  of  his  eccentric  visitor. 

"Look  ye  here,  sir,"  concluded  the  stranger, 
"there's  enough  of  this  backing  and  filling  about  a 
small  matter.  My  name  you  shall  know  if  we  trade 
together,  but  if  not  it's  no  man's  business,  though  a 
ship  has  sailed  before  now  under  more  names  than 
she  had  masts,  hey,  Scip,"  and  here  master  and  man 
indulged  in  a  singular  smile  of  almost  sinister  im 
port.  "But  here's  my  offer;  name  a  price  for  yon 
house  and  bit  of  ground,  an'  so  the  price  be  fair  you 
shall  have  your  money  in  true  Spanish  doubloons,  or 
we  part  an'  there's  an  end." 

The  offer  was  made,  and  accepted,  the  .papers 
signed  and  delivered,  and  the  price  told  out  in  for- 


"Old    Hewson"  53 


eign  gold  coin  with  this  brief  but  compendious  dec 
laration:  "Well,  old  man,  our  business  is  done,  and 
I  hope  that  yonder  papers  are  as  good  as  my  gold, 
but  if  not,  God  help  the  man  who  shall  try  to  make 
me  quit  yonder  anchorage  by  force  of  arm,  or  sher 
iff's  warrant. 

"You  may  call  me  John  Ilewson,"  he  added,  as  he 
turned  to  go,  and  that  night  the  windows  of  the  long 
unoccupied  cottage  were  ablaze  with  light,  and 
from  within  the  notes  of  a  violin,  the  rhythm  of 
dancing  feet,'  and  the  sound  of  oaths,  boisterous 
laughter  and  coarse  sea  songs  were  heard  until  long 
after  midnight,  to  the  utter  and  unspeakable  hor 
ror  and  discomfort  of  the  sedate  and  pious  inhabi 
tants  of  the  hamlet. 

The  next  morning  the  house  was  closed  and  ten- 
antless,  the  windows  hopelessly  obscured  by  heavy 
inner  shutters,  and  some  had  even  begun  to  talk  of 
foul  play,  or  the  especial  judgment  of  God  on  such 
unhallowed  revelry,  when  late  at  night  man  and 
master  were  met  by  several,  coming  up  the  mail 
road  with  a  wagon  laden  with  sea  chests  and 
heavy  furniture,  and  driven  by  a  stranger  who  was 
almost  as  close  mouthed  as  his  employers,  but 
claimed  to  hail  from  the  vicinity  of  a  small  inlet  on 
the  southern  shore  of  the  cape. 

That  night  the  house  was  again  illuminated,  and 
again  the  evidences  of  unholy  revelry  were  but 
too  patent  to  all  dwelling  near  by;  but  the  night 
ended  at  last  and  with  it  passed  away  all  traces  of 
the  presence  of  teamster,  equipage  and  negro,  and 
only  a  large  and  savage  hound,  evidently  of  tropical 


54  Cartagena 


origin,  remained  to  serve  as  companion  to  the  vet 
eran  who  lived  henceforth  alone,  suffering  neither 
man,  woman  or  child  to  cross  his  threshold  on  any 
pretext  or  errand  whatever. 

He  paid  liberally  and  in  coin  for  all  supplies,  and 
evidently  lived  well,  cooking  but  two  meals  a  day, 
with  no  mean  skill,  judging  from  the  savory  odors 
distinguishable  by  the  passers  by,  and  spent  much 
of  his  time  angling  in  the  trout  brook,  which  wound 
through  the  swamp,  or  hunting  with  a  long  barreled 
Spanish  gun,  of  marvelous  accuracy  and  range, 
whose  stock  was  wondrously  inlaid  with  plates  and 
tracery  of  sterling  silver  and  gold. 

A  retired  sea-captain,  from  a  hill  to  the  westward, 
had  writh  a  powerful  ship's  glass  discovered  a  ham 
mock  in  the  attic  window,  and  a  curious  youth  of 
the  neighborhood  had  once  taken  advantage  of  the 
old  man's  absence,  and  peeping  through  the  open 
window  had  seen  a  brace  of  pistols  and  cutlass  over 
the  door,  a  few  mahogany  chairs  filled  up  with 
cast-off  clothing  and  various  tackle,  a  heavy  table  on 
which  a  silver  flagon  and  crystal  decanter  stood  be 
side  the  pewter  platter  and  porringer  from  whence 
Hewson  had  eaten  the  morning  meal,  and  last,  but 
not  least,  a  great  oaken  chest  banded  with  massive 
yet  curiously  wrought  braces  of  iron. 

Only  this  and  nothing  more,  yet  even  this  was 
dearly  purchased,  for  the  next  time  he  passed  that 
way  the  great  dog,  leaping  the  fence  at  a  bound, 
threw  him  to  the  earth,  and  crouching  upon  his  body 
gave  a  deep  hollow  bay  which  called  his  master  to 
the  spot. 


"Old    Hewson"  55 


"Many  thanks  for  your  call,  younker,"  said  the 
master  grimly,  as  at  a  word  the  great  hound  al 
lowed  the  terrified  boy  to  arise,  "but  next  time 
'twould  be  better  to  come  when  I'm  to  home,  for  the 
dog  knows  I  don't  want  people  looking  into  my  win 
dows,  an'  no  one  can  come  here  day  or  night  but 
he'll  find  him  out." 

This  story,  added  to  all  else  that  seemed  strange 
and  unaccountable,  had  given  to  this  man,  as  years 
went  by,  the  only  privilege  he  seemed  to  claim  of 
humanity,  almost  complete  isolation  from  his 
species. 

It  was  therefore  to  his  great  surprise  that 
Stephen,  as  he  approached,  saw  the  old  man  rise 
from  his  seat,  advance  to  the  close-shut  wicket,  and 
extending  his  hand  as  if  in  greeting,  address  him  as 
follows: 

"Welcome,  younker.  I've  been  wantin'  to  see  you 
for  some  time,  an'  had  made  up  my  mind  to  go  down 
to  your  father's  house.  Come  in!  come  in,  man,  for 
your  time  is  short,  an'  so  is  mine,  but  in  different 
ways,  I  reckon,  for  you're  bound  south  again;  but 
poor  old  Jack  Hewrson  has  only  one  more  voyage 
to  take,  and  that  up  yonder,"  and  he  pointed  with 
his  thumb  over  his  shoulder  to  the  graveyard  be 
hind  the  Quaker  meeting  house. 

Stephen,  although  almost  speechless  with  aston 
ishment,  followed  the  old  man  toward  the  house, 
while  the  great  dog,  which  liad  given  a  single  hoarse 
growl,  at  a  word  from  his  companion  quietly  turned 
away  and  crouched  beside  the  door  step. 

"Don't  be  afraid,  younker,"  said  Hewson,  with 


56  Cartagena 


rough  courtesy,  "the  brute's  a  true  Afrikin  blood 
hound  and  wild  tear  ye  limb  from  limb,  if  I  said 
the  word ;  but  he  isn't  quick  to  use  his  strength  un 
less  it's  wanted,  an'  it's  me  that  tells  him  so." 

"But  how  do  you  know  my  name?"  asked  Stephen 
curiously.  "I've  seen  you  anytime  for  these  last  ten 
years  and  never  even  spoken  to  you  until  now.  What 
can  you  know  or  want  of  me?" 

"Come  in  man,"  said  his  strange  companion  quiet 
ly,  opening  the  door  so  long  shut  to  everyone  else 
in  the  hamlet.  "I've  kept  out  the  curious  and  ma 
licious  that  call  me  pirate  and  murderer  behind  my 
back,  and  don't  dare  to  say  their  soul's  their  own 
to  my  face;  but  there's  different  metal  in  you,  boy, 
an'  if  I  had  fewer  years  and  more  men  like  you,  I 
would  like  well  to  go  to  the  Spanish  main  with  you 
myself." 

Stephen  entered  the  mysterious  dwelling,  and 
found  himself  in  a  room  plainly  but  amply  fur 
nished,  in  very  much  the  same  way  as  had  been  de 
scribed  by  the  luckless  youth  before  spoken  of.  The 
chairs  were  of  carved  mahogany,  the  table  of  inlaid 
woods,  the  pistols  and  cutlass,  with  a  rifle  and  the 
long  barreled  gun  before  mentioned,  hung  from  a 
brace  of  deer's  antlers  above  the  fireplace,  and  the 
iron-banded  chest  was  not  wanting,  but  stood  in  the 
corner  furthest  from  the  door. 

"It  looks  pretty  much  as  he  said,  doesn't  it?" 
asked  his  singular  host  somewhat  sardonically. 
"Well,  he  did  get  a  bad  scare,  and  it  served  the 
rascal'  right.  But  it  didn't  need  any  of  the  devil's 
help  to  find  him  out,  for  I  saw  him  with  my  glass 


"Old    Ilewson"  57 


from  the  grove  of  hickory  up  yonder,  although 
1'oiutis  here  would  have  trailed  him  out  for  me  if  I 
hadn't,  for  he  knows  nothing  is  to  couie  in  here  with 
out  my  asking.  But  sit  down,  and  if  a  little  of  the 
true  south  side  Madeira  will  suit  you,  say  the  word 
and  you  are  welcome." 

"I  thank  you  heartily,"  said  Stephen,  simply,  "but 
I  am  in  a  hurry,  and  care  little  for  wine  while  my 
blood  runs  as  freely  in  my  veins  as  now.  So,  let  me 
know  what  I  can  do  for  you;  for  you  surely  have  not 
broken  your  long  habit  of  living  by  yourself  Tor 
naught." 

"I  was  told  that  you  were  brave  and  honest,  lad," 
said  Hewson,  writh  a  gratified  smile,  "and  I  have  but 
a  simple  thing  to  ask  of  you;  but,  before  I  can  ask  it, 
you  must  promise  to  keep  a  secret.  Nay,  man — don't 
refuse,"  he  said,  bitterly;  "I've  no  fear  of  priest  or 
sheriff,  but  I  won't  have  every  old  woman  in  the 
town  chewing  over  my  history  with  her  tea  and 
shortcake." 

Stephen  laughed  at  his  vehemence,  but  as  sud 
denly  grew  grave,  and  said,  "Your  pardon,  sir.  You 
are  right,  and  your  wishes  shall  be  respected.  I 
shall  be  happy  to  hear  whatever  you  may  please  to 
tell  me,  without  further  question." 

"Well,  then,  younker,  to  be  brief,  I  have  a  brother 
somewhere  in  the  West  Indies,  who  was  born  in 
the  same  hour  as  myself,  and  who,  as  boy  and  man, 
was  as  like  me  as  one  bullet  is  like  another.  He  was, 
when  I  last  heard  of  him,  at  Cartagena,  where  I  have 
no  doubt  you  also  are  bound;  but  since  we  parted, 
forty  years  since,  he  married  there,  and  when  I  came 


58  Cartagena.     • 


here  ten  years  ago  was  well-to-do,  and  in  favor 
among  the  Dons  as  interpreter  in  the  courts.  But  I 
am  old,  and  would  at  least  send  him  one  more  mes 
sage  before  I  die,  and  that  message  must  be  by  word 
of  mouth;  for  if  it  were  written,  he  would  be  shot 
or  garroted  without  mercy  should  it  fall  into  the 
hands  of  the  Spaniard!" 

"I  will  take  your  message  if  I  can,"  said  Stephen, 
"but  how  am  I  to  know  him,  for  of  course  he  no 
longer  bears  an  English  name  among  the  Spaniards." 

"He  was  called  Carlos  de  Olivera  when  last  I  heard 
from  him,  young  sir,  and  stood  in  high,  favor  with 
priest  and  people,  or  else  I  had  not  been  here  this 
day.  But  the  hour  grows  late  and  you  have  far  to 
go.  I  must  look  into  yonder  chest,  whose  secrets 
would  be  cheap  to  any  old  woman  in  the  district  at 
the  loss  of  an  eye,  an'  I  don't  know  but  some  on  'em 
would  give  both,  an'  they  could  still  keep  the  use 
of  their  tongues  to  tell  what  was  in  it.  But  come, 
you  must  hold  the  candle,  for  my  eyes  are  poor,  and 
one  must  be  careful  how  he  opens  this  chest  of 
mine." 

As  he  spoke  he  drew  from  his  pocket  a  small  key 
and  knelt  by  the  chest,  one  of  those  curious  master 
pieces  of  Flemish  art,  whose  thick  oaken  sides  are 
but  the  background  for  wondrous  tracery  in  deftly 
wrought  steel  and  iron.  The  great  hasp,  formed  like 
a  dragon's  head,  seemed  to  descend  into  the  cav 
ernous  keyhole  below  it,  but  Hewson  touched  a 
knob  to  the  right  and  -disclosed  a  smaller  aperture, 
into  which  he  inserted  the  smal-1  key  he  had  pro 
duced.  In  a  shallow  recess  lay  disclosed  the  large, 


"Old    Hewson"  59 


cunningly  wrought  key  of  the  coffer,  and  some  cu 
rious  mechanism  to  which  the  old  man  called  the  at 
tention  of  his  guest. 

"The  old  smith  \vho  made  this  key,"  and  he 
pointed  to  the  involved  and  delicate  wards  as  he 
spoke,  "knew  that  the  robber's  skill  might  well  undo 
what  he  had  fastened,  and  so  he  set  a  watch  on  yon 
der  lock  which  should  hold  all  fast  and  catch  the 
thief  as  well,"  and  turning  a  button  he  unlocked  the 
chest,  and  raising  the  hasp  showed  a  small 
slit  by  which  the  lid  might  be  lifted.  Then  touching 
a  concealed  spring  a  sharp  shock  was  heard;  a  hid 
den  bolt  secured  the  lid  and  several  sharp  needles 
barred  the  aperture,  and  would  certainly  have  trans 
fixed  the  hand  of  any  one  attempting  to  open  the 
box.  He  also  showed  him  that  any  attempt  to  lift 
the  lid  by  the  hasp  would  bear  on  the  same  spring 
and  relock  the  coffer. 

"They  say,"  said  the  old  man,  coolly,  "that  the 
needles  are  pisoned,  but  'tis  a  good  hundred  years 
since  that  bit  of  deviltry  was  done,  and  'tis  like  its 
vartue  is  long  since  lost;  but  we  lose  time  over  such 
matters." 

So  saying  with  the  handle  of  the  large  key  he 
wound  up  the  secret  machinery,  releasing  the  bolt, 
and  setting  the  safety  catch,  heaved  up  the  heavy  lid 
and  revealed,  not  treasures  of  price,  but  a  strange 
melange  of  articles,  carefully  packed  in  curious  jux 
taposition  to  each  other. 

A  box  of  rare  woods,  roughly  inlaid  with  bits  of 
gold  and  silver  coin,  was  evidently  but  the  old  man's 
"ditty  box,"  or  receptacle  for  pins,  thread,  needles 


GO  Cartagena 


and  other  small  necessaries,  for  the  ends  of  a  few 
threads  protruded  from  between  box  and  lid,  and 
the  style  of  ornamentation  was  of  the  figures  formed 
of  circles  and  diamonds  known,  to  every  seaman, 
though  the  materials  might  be  worth  a  score  of 
pounds  or  more. 

"There's  a  deal  of  work  in  this/'  said  the  old  sailor 
as  he  opened  it,  "an'  ev'ry  bit  tells  of  some  long  calm 
or  hot  day  under  the  palm  trees  among  the  islands, 
an'  thar  isn't  a  bit  of  wood  or  metal  in  the  whole 
but  has  its  history,  an'  some  of  it  none  of  the  pleas- 
antest  either." 

"But  here's  what  we  want,"  said  he,  opening  the 
box;  and  producing  from  amid  its  odds  and  ends  a 
small  parcel  done  up  in  soft  cotton,  he  extracted 
therefrom  a  curious  ring,  evidently  the  product  of 
some  unskilled  artisan,  but  representing  in  virgin 
gold  a  rattlesnake  with  emerald  eyes,  two  of  whose 
coils  encircled  the  finger,  while  the  third  held  en 
closed  a  large,  roughly-cut  garnet. 

"There,  boy!"  continued  Hewson;  "ther'  were  two 
of  them  rings  taken  when  we  took  Cartagena  in  1G97, 
when  De  Pointis,  the  French  admiral,  summoned  the 
buccaneers  of  the  Gulf  to  help  France  against  the 
Spaniards.  These  I  found  in  the  commandant's 
house;  I  gave  one  to  my  brother,  and  we  agreed  that 
they  should  be  tokens  by  which  we  might  send  help 
or  seek  assistance  in  all  straits  an'  peril  whatsoever. 
But  he  who  carries  it  may  well  be  in  peril  should  he 
be  a  prisoner  in  the  city  from  which  it  was  taken, 
for  no  common  man  ever  made  such  a  ring  as  that." 

"But  why  do  you  send  to  your  brother?"  asked 


"Old    Hewson"  Gl 


Stephen.  "If  you  are  in  want  of  anything,  there  are 
many  ready  to  help  who  will  not  make  charity  a 
pretext  for  curiosity." 

"Charity!"  said  the  old  man,  sneeringly — "charity! 
—it  shall  never  be  spoken  of  me  that  I  lived  by  the 
bounty  of  others,  as  long  as  death  is  so  near  that  1* 
can  seek  him  by  bullet,  steel  or  cord;  and  though 
there  seems  to  be  but  little  here  beside  such  mat 
ters  as  an  old  sailor  picks  up  here  and  there,  there 
are  more  shot  in  the  locker  than  will  last  out  my 
cruise.  But,  never  mind!  Take  this  ring;  and  if  vou 
enter  the  city  of  Cartagena,  and  Don  Carlos  be  not 
dead  or  departed  elsewhere,  tell  him" — and  the  old 
man's  voice  grew  husky — "tell  him  for  me,  that,  if 
he  will,  I  have  a  home  for  him  and  his,  and  that  I 
wax  old  and  weak,  and  would  see  him  before  I  die." 

"I  will  tell  him,"  said  Stephen,  kindly— "that  is,  if 
I  may;  for  there  are  many  chances  that  we  may 
never  meet,  even  if,  as  men  seem  to  think,  we  go 
to  make  our  first  attack  on  Cartagena." 

"And  why  should  I  not  trust  to  such  chance? — 
which,  indeed,  so  long  as  the  war  lasts,  may  well  be 
my  only  hope  of  again  hearing  from  him.  'Twas  a 
less  likely  chance  which  separated  us  two  young  lads 
when  but  twenty-three  or  ther'about,  an'  made  him  a 
Spanish  officer  an'  left  me  with  the  brethren  of  the 
coast." 

"And  are  you  then  indeed  a — "  The  young  man 
hesitated  to  speak  the  word. so  fearfully  significant 
of  the  terrible  scourge  of  the  ocean,  in  those  daya 
infested  in  every  part  of  the  world  by  relentless  rob 
bers  and  murderers  of  their  kind;  and  more  than 


62  Cartagena 


one  had  in  his  hearing,  hinted  that  his  companion 
had  doubtless  amassed  the  gold  he  had  from  time 
to  time  exhibited  by  piracy. 

"No,  young  man;  I  am  not  a  pirate,  although  I 
have  known — aye,  have  messed  and  slept  with  many 
who  afterward  became  pirates  accursed  of  God  and 
man.  But  I  was  a  buccaneer  or  filibuster,  as  we 
were  called  thirty  years  ago;  and  if  you  care  to  stay 
an  hour  or  so  into  the  night,  I  can  tell  you  some 
thing  of  the  country  you  are  going  to,  and  of  how 
the  brethren  of  the  coast  took  Cartagena,  now  some 
forty-odd  years  agone." 

And,  Stephen  gladly  acceding,  the  old  man 
opened  the  low  wrindowTs,  took  from  a  cupboard  a 
bottle  of  wine,  some  choice  tobacco,  and  several  long- 
stemmed  clay  pipes,  and,  having  with  some  diffi 
culty  pressed  his  guest  to  partake  of  his  hospitality, 
drew  from  the  chest  a  small  pennon  of  crimson,  on 
which  was  emblazoned  a  black  raven.  "It  was  the 
pennant  of  my  yawl,"  said  he,  proudly,  "and  a 
larger  one  hung  at  the  mainmast-head  of  my  old  ves 
sel,  <Le  Corbeau,'  forty  years  since." 


Chapter    VI. 
The    Sack    of    Cartagena* 

"It  was  forty-three  years  ago,  lad,  that  I,  a  stout 
buccaneer  of  three  and  twenty,  with  my  brother, 
rendezvoused  at  Hispaniola,  where  twelve  hundred 
of  the  brethren  of  the  coast  had  been  gathered  by 
Governor  Du  Casse  to  join  the  Baron  de  Fointis,  com 
mander  of  the  king's  fleet,  after  whom  yonder  hound 
is  called,  because  he  holds  so  well  whatever  he  gets 
between  his  teeth,  as  the  baron  held  to  prize  money 
and  plunder. 

"It  was  the  greatest  gathering  of  the  buccaneers 
for  many  years,  and  we  who  were  still  but  young  in 
experience  met  there  with  men  who  had  cruised  with 
Sharp  and  fought  under  Morgan,  and  even  one  or 
two  who  had  known  Pierre  le  Grand;  Montbars, 
whose  sword  never  spared  a  Spaniard;  Bartolomeo 
Portaguez,  sly  as  a  fox,  who  more  than  once  made 
his  cunning  save  him  from  steel  and  cord;  L'Olon- 
nois,  the  butcher  of  whole  ship's  crews,  and  Mans- 
velt,  whose  buccaneers  first  settled  New  Providence. 

"We  were  to  set  out  by  the  middle  of  February  at 
farthest,  but  March  was  well  begun  when  De  Point  is' 
fleet  made  Cape  St.  Francois,  and  began  to  refit  at 
Tiburon. 

"There  were  about  seven  hundred  of  us,  who  were 
true  buccaneers,  in  seven  vessels  of  from  eight  to 
twenty  and  twenty-four  guns,  but  Du  Casse  took 
from  his  forts  about  two  hundred  regulars,  and 


64  Cartagena 


enough  of  our  relations  and  connections,  who  were 
planters;  and  others  with  their  slaves  came  in  to 
make  our  force  twelve  hundred  men,  all  trained  to 
seamanship  and  hunting,  and  keen  marksmen  with 
their  long  buccaneer  guns. 

"De  Pointis  had  seven  ships  and  four  frigates, 
with  bomb-ketches,  storeships  and  transports,  and 
about  three  thousand  eight  hundred  men  of  all 
grades,  and  we  thought  that  with  six  thousand  men 
we  could  conquer  San  Domingo  City,  and  gain  there 
by  much  booty  and  a  fort  which  we  could  hold  for 
ever  against  the  bloody  Spaniards. 

"But  De  Pointis,  although  he  scorned  the  very 
name  of  buccaneer,  was  at  heart  as  greedy  a  dog 
as  the  most  cowardly  filibuster  that  ever  robbed 
periaguas  around  the  river  mouths,  or  plundered 
farmers  of  a  few  pesos,  and  he  from  the  first  gave 
little  heed  to  our  entreaties  or  the  counsels  of  Du 
Casse,  and  chose  rather  to  plunder  a  city  he  could 
not  hope  to  hold  for  the  king,  than  to  spend  blood 
arid  life  for  the  safety  of  the  French  colonists  and 
the  glory  of  France;  and  so  on  the  first  part  of  April 
we  sailed  for  Cartagena,  having  with  much  pains  got 
De  Pointis  to  promise  that  wre  should  share  in  all 
plunder,  on  the  same  terms  as  the  men  of  the  king's 
ships. 

"Du  Casse,  although  governor  and  a  captain  in  the 
French  navy,  was  allowed  to  share  only  as  a  captain 
and,  indeed,  so  hard  and  overbearing  was  De  Pointis 
to  us  all,  that  many  times  our  men  murmured  and 
threatened  to  turn  back,  but  the  captains  told  them 
of  the  silver  and  gold  of  Cartagena,  and  by  the 
middle  of  the  month  we  lay  off  the  city." 


The   Sack  of  Cartagena  65 

"And  what  is  the  city  like?"  asked  Stephen  with 
much  interest. 

"  'Twas  in  those  days,  and  I  dare  say  is  now,  the 
next  richest  city  to  Mexico  of  all  the  Spanish  king's 
possessions  on  this  side  the  sea,  and  stands  almost 
surrounded  by  lagoon  and  sea  on  a  sandy  plain,  so 
low  that  less  than  two  fathoms  brings  the  digger  to 
springs  of  sweet  water.  An  hundred  and  eighty 
brass  guns  were  mounted  on  its  walls  and  bastions, 
and  the  forts  around  it  were  as  well  provided  as  to 
number.  The  walls  and  works  are  of  limestone  filled 
in  with  earth,  and  over  the  great  gate  of  the  city 
hangs,  in  Spanish,  the  legend  'Defiance  to  the 
World.' 

"Well,  lad,  first  we  tried  to  land  to  the  eastward, 
hoping  to  cut  off  all  way  of  escape  on  the  land  side, 
but,  in  spite  of  all  we  could  say,  we  of  the  coast  were 
told  off  to  land  about  four  miles  from  the  city;  and, 
after  we,  with  great  pains,  had  got  suitable  rations 
of  sea  biscuit  from  the  admiral,  De  Pointis  himself 
tried  to  find  us  a  place  fit  for  landing,  but  he  was 
nearly  lost  in  the  surf,  and  we  had  to  land  after  all 
on  the  island  which  commands  Boca  Chica,  where 
stands  the  castle  which  covers  the  entrance  of  the 
harbor.  And  here  some  few  of  us,  the  despised  buc 
caneers,  did  what  the  cannon  of  the  ships  could  not 
do;  for,  with  our  long  guns,  we  so  swept  the  Span 
iards  from  their  guns  that,  with  little  loss,  the 
French  soldiers  carried  the  works  and  the  fleet  en 
tered  the  harbor. 

"On  the  seventeenth  we  had  taken  the  convent  of 
De  la  Popa,  whose  nuns  must  have  known  more  of 


66  Cartajrena 


war  than  of  praying,  for  the  place  was  a  perfect 
fortress,  and  covered  the  road  inland  by  which  a  few 
days  before  all  the  rich  ladies  of  Cartagena,  with  3 
great  train  of  mules  laden  with  valuables  including 
no  less  than  one  hundred  and  ten  carrying  gold,  had 
fled  inland  at  our  approach. 

"Then  we  moved  upon  St.  Lazar,  our  musketeers 
keeping  the  gunners  under  cover  until  De  Pointiai 
and  his  grenadiers  were  close  upon  their  works,  al 
though,  as  I  heard  since,  he  spared  not  to  call  us  cow 
ardly  dogs  because  we  did  not  set  pistols  and  cutlass 
against  bayonet  and  pike.  De  Pointis  himself  fell 
wounded  by  grape  from  the  last  cannon  fired  by  tjie 
Spaniards  ere  they  fled  into  Xexemani,  that  part  of 
the  city  lying  without  the  walls  and  separated  from 
it  by  a  marsh  crossed  by  a  causeway  scarce  a  musket 
shot  in  length.  There  batteries  had  to  be  thrown  up, 
and  the  heaviest  guns  of  the  squadron  landed,  whicty 
soon  dismounted  the  light  cannon  of  the  Spaniards, 
and  made  a  breach  in  the  works  of  Xexemani. 

"Then  again  we  were  sent  to  cover  the  storming 
party  with  our  fire,  and  many  of  our  bravest  men  fell 
under  the  grape  shot  that  searched  our  slight  cover 
of  paling,  hedge,  and  garden  wall,  but  we  kept  clos 
ing  in,  as  we  saw  opportunity  until  the  grenadier^ 
and  marines  of  Marolles,  Du  Roullon  and  Marigny 
rushed  on  to  the  assault. 

"Marolles  fell,  shot  through  and  through,  at  the 
foot  of  the  ragged  wall.  Du  Roullon  and  a  score  ot 
his  men  went  down  under  the  grape  that  swept  the 
breach,  as  a  hurricane  dismasts  a  lugger ;  but  they 
were  brave  men  who  followed,  and  young  Marolles 


The   Sack  of  Cartagena  67 

led  his  arquebusiers  past  his  dying  father,  and  swept 
the  Spaniards  from  their  flankers,  and  through  the 
streets  and  gardens  of  Xexemani.  But  when  the 
Spaniards  came  to  the  sally  ports  beyond  the  cause 
way,  those  in  the  inner  works  would  not  open ;  and 
in  despair  they  turned  again  upon  us,  and  charged, 
broken  and  without  order  as  they  were,  in  the  teeth 
of  a  storm  of  bullets  and  the  bombs  of  the  grena 
diers,  who,  when  the  last  shell  was  gone,  headed  a 
charge  that  swept  them  back  across  the  causeway, 
under  the  guns  of  the  city  wall. 

"The  next  day  the  causeway  was  covered  with 
dead  bodies,  which  we  had  to  have  removed,  when, 
on  the  3d  of  May,  the  white  flag  flew  above  the  forts, 
and  De  Pointis  made  his  own  terms  with  the  gov 
ernor  of  the  port.  He  allowed  the  garrison  to  march 
out  with  flying  colors,  their  drums  beating,  and 
their  arms,  baggage  and  personal  effects,  always  ex 
cepting  plate,  jewels  and  money,  save  only  a  small 
amount  per  man,  for  personal  expenses.  Four  gun?, 
they  were  allowed  to  take,  but  those  they  chose  were 
small,  dragged  only  by  men,  -and  two  they  soon  left 
by  the  way,  rough  with  the  ruins  of  their  walls,  and 
the  houses  shattered  by  the  bombardment.  'Twas  a 
long  procession  and  a  motley;  for  there  were  many 
women,  children,  priests  and  *nuns,  laborers  and 
merchants,  all  anxious  to  get  away  from  the  terri 
ble  brethren  of  the  coast  and  the  tender  mercies  of 
the  French  infantry. 

"Once  inside  the  city,  De  Pointis  soon  showed  the 
cloven  foot  more  openly  than  ever ;  for,  although  the 
silver  came  in  faster  than  M.  Tilleul  could  weigh  it, 


Cartagena 


neither  Du  Casse  nor  our  captains  were  allowed  to 
take  accompt  of  the  same,  or  in  any  way  to  satisfy 
themselves  that  the  interests  of  their  men  would  be 
fairly  consulted.  Even  the  convents  were  plund 
ered;  in  which  matter  one  Father  Paul,  who  for 
many  years  had  consorted  with  us  of  the  coast,  was 
very  useful  and  full  of  zeal  until  De  Pointis  came  to 
seize  the  plate  of  the  convent  of  St.  Dominic,  and 
then  our  ghostly  father  turned  upon  him,  and  threat 
ened  his  sacrilege  with  the  judgment  of  heaven,  not 
withstanding  he  himself  had  had  no  pity  for  the  fat 
prior  of  the  house  of  St.  Francis  of  Assisi;  but,  then, 
Father  Paul  had  been  bred  a  Dominican. 

"We  soon  found  that  we  had  little  chance  of  fin 
gering  any  of  the  booty  so  diligently  sought  by  De 
Pointis,  and  every  man  soon  set  himself  to  secure  all 
that  he  could  lay  his  hands  upon,  even  the  regular 
troops  joining  in  the  pillage;  and  De  Pointis  gave 
little  heed  to  the  inhabitants,  but  in  his  jealousy 
of  the  buccaneers  got  us  outside  the  city,  on  a  report 
that  a  vast  army  of  Indians  were  coming  to  attack 
our  outposts. 

"But  wre  after  much  pains  found  none  to  trouble 
us  and,  marching  back,  found  the  gates  closed,  the 
walls  guarded  and  the  French  troops  with  matches 
lighted  and  guns  pointed,  as  if  we  were  the  enemy 
and  about  to  attack  them.  We  who  were  leaders 
had  gathered  to  consult  when  we  came  in  sight  of 
the  city,  when  one  of  our  number  who  had  been  left 
behind  came  forth  with  a  message  from  the  general, 
which  requested  us  to  stay  in  the  suburbs,  as  he  was 
afraid  of  some  disturbance  if  we  returned  into  the 


The   Sack  of  Cartagena  69 

city,  and  this,  when  our  men  knew  it,  enraged  them 
almost  beyond  restraint. 

"Even  Pierre,  an  old  freebooter,  and  Blou,  who 
never  spoke  twice  to  give  an  order,  were  unheeded  in 
the  tumultuous  rush  toward  the  causeway,  and  the 
men  unslung  their  long  guns  or  threw  them  down, 
and  with  their  long  knives  between  their  teeth,  and 
cutlass  and  boarding  pistol  in  hand,  rushed  down  to 
the  narrow  road  across  the  slimy  marsh.  But  once 
there  the  boldest  faltered,  for  the  breach  had  been 
repaired,  the  guns  replaced  and  pointed  to  sweep  the 
causeway;  and  we  knew  that  only  death  and  certain 
defeat  wrould  come  of  a  charge  in  the  face  of  such 
odds. 

"Nevertheless  De  Pointis  himself  trembled  at  our 
rage,  and  sent  out  a  second  message  asking  us  to  re 
main  outside  but  a  few  days,  and  with  many  fair  prom 
ises  assured  us  of  an  equal  distribution  of  the  booty. 
He  paid  to  each  captain  among  us  large  sums,  as  he 
said, in  reward  of  our. conduct, and  also  to  a  number 
of  our  best  marksmen,  whose  services  had  saved  him 
many  men ;  and  to  every  one  of  the  wounded  he  or 
dered  sums  of  money,  according  to  the  injury  each 
had  suffered. 

"But  nearly  two  weeks  passed  before  we  marched 
again  into  the  city,  and  then  most  of  the  treasure 
was  on  board  of  the  Sceptre,  the  flagship  of  the  fleet. 

"Then  a  vast  amount  of  merchandise  was  put  up 
at  auction  and  sold  to  any  who  wrould  buy,  and  the 
money  thus  received  went  on  board  the  ships,  until 
De  Pointis,  wiio  had  hitherto  given  out  that  the  city 
was  to  be  held  for  France,  with  Du  Casse  as  gov- 


70  Cartagena 


eruor,  gave  out  that  owing  to  the  losses  of  the  fleet 
by  the  fevers  of  the  country,  he  should  abandon  the 
place  and  began  to  take  on  board  the  fleet  the  brass 
cannon  on  the  walls ;  and  on  the  25th  of  May  sudden 
ly  embarked  without  notice  to  Du  Casse,  with  whom 
he  had  had  some  discourse  but  a  few  moments  be 
fore,  and  as  his  ships  began  to  move  down  the  har 
bor  sent  orders  to  Du  Casse  to  embark  his  people. 

"Again  we  sent  to  know  when  the  distribution 
would  be  made,  but  the  old  answer  was  given  'that 
accounts  were  not  ready/  and  there  was  much 
anxiety  among  our  men,  which  was  with  difficulty 
appeased  until  the  men  were  all  aboard,  and  our 
little  frigates  were  following  De  Pointis  out  the  har 
bor  of  Cartagena. 

"Then  Du  Casse  called  the  officers  on  board  of  his 
vessel,  the  Ponchartrain,  and  informed  us  of  the  ad 
miral's  last  perfidy.  He  had  taken  treasure  by  his 
own  confession  to  the  amount  of  9,000,000  livres> 
and  M.  Du  Casse  had  estimated  it  at  double  the 
amount,  but  M.  De  Tilleul's  accompt  gave  us  as  our 
share  but  40,000  crowns  to  repay  us  for  our  services 
and  dangers. 

"Many  proposed  that  we  should  board  the  Sceptre  • 
and  turn  her  guns  upon  the  fleet,  for  her  crew  was 
weak  with  sickness,  and  had  lost  half  their  number, 
but  a  single  broadside  would  have  sunk  us,  and  be 
tween  rage  and  helplessness  we  knew  not  what  to 
do. 

"Suddenly  McCary,  an  Irish  rover,  spoke  out:  'Let 
us  leave  De  Pointis,  and  no  longer  trouble  ourselves 
about  a  villain  without  sense  of  honor  or  truth.  He 


The   Sack  of  Cartagena  71 

nas  left  us  our  share  yonder  at  Cartagena;  let  us  go 
back  and  get  it.'  The  counsel  seemed  good,  and  by 
next  morning,  despite  the  orders  and  promises  of  Du 
Casse,  we  were  back  and  in  the  city. 

"Then  we  seized  and  imprisoned  the  merchants, 
shutting  them  up  in  the  great  cathedral,  until,  by 
dint  of  threats  and  close  search,  we  had  raised  a  sum 
which,  upon  division,  gave  us  nearly  a  thousand 
crowns  per  man ;  and  then,  with  our  ships  laden  with 
goods  and  slaves,  we  sailed  for  Hispaniola,  but,  on 
the  second  day  out,  met  the  English  and  Dutch  fleets 
sent  from  Barbadoes  to  save  Cartagena  from  cap 
ture. 

"Of  our  nine  vessels,  two  were  taken,  and  of 
three  vessels  commanded  by  Blou,  my  brother  and 
myself,  two  were  driven  ashore,  and  one  of  then} 
close  to  Cartagena,  whose  crew  I  had  to  leave  to 
their  fate;  but  mine  with  four  others  came  at  last 
to  Isle  a  Vache,  and  from  thence  to  Hispaniola. 

"But,  after  some  years,  I  learned  through  certain 
of  our  brotherhood,  that  our  friends,  although  at 
first  forced  to  labor  at  rebuilding  the  walls,  had 
many  of  them  married  into  wealthy  and  influential 
families,  and  among  them  my  brother,  the  captain, 
who,  as  it  turned  out,  espoused  a  connection  of  the 
same  Don  Sancho  Ximenez  whose  arquebusiers  he 
had  so  unmercifully  fusilladed  at  Boca  Chica. 

"Since  then  I  spent  some  years  in  smuggling,  and 
once  received,  through  an  Indian  canoernan,  word 
that  a  guarda  costa  had  s.ure  information,  through 
one  of  my  own  men,  of  my  whereabouts,  and  that 
no  prisoners  would  be  taken.  There  was  no  signa- 


72  Cartagena 


ture,  but  the  boatman  gave  me  this  ring  and  I  sent 
back  my  own  in  exchange. 

"And  now,  again  Cartagena  will  be  taken,  and  he 
will  be  plundered,  as  he  has  plundered  others;  for 
none  can  doubt  that  Lord  Vernon  must  take  any 
port  on  this  side  of  the  ocean,  with  such  force  of  men 
and  ships,  and  all  men  feel  that  'tis  against  that  city 
that  you  are  to  go.  So,  carry  my  message ;  and  when 
you  set  out,  I  will  see  that  you  lack  not  gold  to  help 
the  only  relative  I  have  on  earth." 

The  hour  was  late  when  they  parted,  for  much 
good  counsel  was  imparted  concerning:  the  natural 
features  of  the  surrounding  country,  its  dangers, 
diseases  and  insect  plagues,  and  the  best  means  of 
preserving  health  and  securing  personal  comfort,  to 
all  of  which  Stephen  listened  wonderingly;  for,  in 
sensibly,  the  old  man  had  thrown  off  his  rugged 
bearing,  as  if  he  had  worn  it  as  a  mask  to  cover  bet 
ter  breeding  and  a  higher  grade  of  education. 

"Good-night,  Mr.  Hewson,"  said  our  hero,  as  they 
parted,  "I  will  remember  all  you  have  said,  and  do 
your  errand  if  I  may.  As  to  secrecy,  you  have  my 
word;  and  I  shall  look  for  your  messenger  when 
word  comes  to  march  into  Boston,  which  must  be 
soon." 

"Good-night,  lad,"  said  his  strange  host,  as  if  re 
lapsing  into  his  old  character.  "There  are  strange 
dreams  that  one  has  at  times,  an'  'tis  a  question 
sometimes  whether  the  dream  or  the  awakening  is 
the  strangest." 

The  great  hound  rose  as  Stephen  passed  out,  and 
laid  his  huge  head  fawningly  against  his.  out- 


The   Sack  of  Cartagena  73 

stretched  hand;  and  as  he  looked  back,  he  took  in 
with  a  glance  the  antique  furniture,  the  ornamented 
arms,  the  rover's  flag,  the  heavy  coffer,  and  the 
figure  of  his  mysterious  host,  but  years  passed  be 
fore  he  was  to  meet  the  privateersman  again. 


Chapter    VII. 
The    Parting 

For  within,  three  days,  came  home  from  Boston 
Captain  Ruggles,  full  of  news  and  in  great  haste  to 
march  his  men  into  the  town,  before  further  compli 
cations  should  arise  to  render  their  brisk  enrollment 
and  much  care  of  no  avail;  for  the  thousand  men  al 
ready  nearly  recruited  in  the  Massachusetts  were 
like  to  go  weaponless  and  ununif ormed  to  the  wars, 
if  the  truth  was  known. 

"But  how  happens  it  that  there  is  any  lack  of  arms 
and  munitions?"  asked  Stephen  in  some  surprise. 
"Hitherto,  I  have  always  heard  that  it  was  harder 
to  find  men  than  either  arms  or  ships." 

"  'Tis  the  governor's  fault,"  said  Ruggles  quietly. 
"He  learned  that  the  king  wanted  three  thousand 
men  from  out  of  the  colonies,  and  Col.  Spottswood, 
of  Virginia,  was  to  command  the  battalion,  while 
Col.  Blakeney,  with  thirty  officers,  one  for  each  com 
pany,  comes  from  England  with  the  King's  commis 
sion  for  the  first  lieutenancy  of  each  of  the  compa 
nies.  But  our  governor  must  needs  call  for  ten  com 
panies  here  and  half  as  many  more  in  New  Hamp 
shire;  little  Khode  Island  recruits  five  companies, 
the  Connecticut  River  patent  as  many  more,  and 
New  York,  the  Jerseys,  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  Vir 
ginia,  and  the  Carolinas  are  all  anxious  and  ready 
to  do  more  than  their  share.  'Tis  easy  to  see  that  wre 
can't  get  ten  commissions  in  this  colony,  and  I  fear 
we  shall  be  too  late  as  it  is." 


The   Parting 


"Why,  captain,  we  can  march  by  to-morrow  noon, 
if  you  will,"  said  Stephen.  "Most  of  our  men  arc- 
here  now,  and  there  are  but  a  few  away  on  business, 
with  some  that  are  to  join  from  Plymouth  and  Scitu- 
ate  on  our  march  northward." 

"That  is  well,  and  it  must  be  done,"  said  Ruggles. 
"But  you  know  not  how  near  to  completion  the  Bos 
ton  companies  are  already.  Captain  Goffe  has  had 
five  tavern  keepers  in  his  pay  from  the  first,  and  even 
kept  an  advertisement  in  the  Newsletter,  as  per 
haps  you  have  seen;  Captain  Phips,  of  Cambridge, 
was  not  far  behind  him,  but  changed  his  mind,  and 
now  will  keep  watch  and  ward  with  his  men  at  the 
castle,  instead  of  risking  a  stormy  passage  and  the 
perils  of  a  siege;  Dr.  Stewart  has  laid  aside  lancet 
and  potion,  and  has  a  company  of  stout  fellows  all 
ready  for  the  examining  officers;  and  John  Prescott, 
of  Concord,  and  Thomas  Phillips  and  John  Furney, 
of  Boston,  are  about  equally  ready  for  their  commis 
sions,  while  all  the  other  officers  have,  like  ourselves, 
nearly  filled  their  lists.  Nevertheless,  but  four 
officers  of  the  regulars  are  here,  and  four  commis 
sions,  I  am  told,  are  all  that  have  come  from  Col. 
Blakeney,  who  has  notified  the  commissary  of  but 
one  shipment  of  muskets  and  uniforms,  and  those 
the  Boston  companies  will  get,  'tis  certain  enough." 

"But  what  will  be  done  in  that  case?"  asked  Ste 
phen,  biting  his  lips;  for  he  had  set  his  heart  on  go 
ing  in  the  great  expedition  against  the  Spaniards. 
"What  hope  have  we,  after  all  our  pains  and 
trouble?" 

"In  sooth,  I  know  not,"  answered  Ruggles,  "ex- 


TO  Cartagena 


cept  that,  should  more  commissions  come,  I  feel  cer 
tain  of  receiving  one  should  our  company  be  on  the 
spot  early  enough;  and  I  hear  it  said  that  the  gov 
ernor  hath  spoilt  much  white  paper  in  essaying  to 
draught  blank  certificates  which  shall  secure  arms 
and  clothing  for  the  men,  and  commissions  for  the 
officers,  when  they  reach  the  fleet.  Howbeit,  the 
men  lose  nothing  if  they  go  not,  for  their  bounty  and 
subsistence  is  to  be  paid,  and  the  captains  who  have 
borne  the  expense  of  getting  men  will  be  reimbursed 
therefor;  but,  should  I  fail  of  my  commission,  I  see 
not  how  you  are  to  be  paid  for  the  good  service 
you  have  done,  in  finding  so  stout  a  company  to 
serve  the  Bay  Colony  and  the  king." 

"It  mattersi  not,  captain,"  said  Stephen.  "You 
have  been  fair  and  honest;  if  we  meet  not  with  the 
reward  we  expected,  we  have  at  least  done  our  duty, 
and  I  have  no  blame  to  lay  upon  any  one,  since  all 
men  meet  in  this  life  some  sort  of  loss  or  disap 
pointment." 

"We  will  send  out  at  once  for  all  on  leave,  and  by 
the  end  of  the  week  should  be  in  Boston ;  and  if  good 
shots  and  stout  fellows  are  wanted,  we  shall  hardly 
be  sent  home  again." 

But  Euggles  shook  his  head  ominously,  although 
he  sent  out  horsemen  to  warn  all  of  his  company  to 
meet  at  S —  -  by  the  next  day  at  high  noon,  from 
thence  to  march  to  Boston,  to  be  enrolled  in  the  ser 
vice  of  the  king. 

And  Stephen  and  Lish  busied  themselves  about 
their  little  kits  of  clothing,  newly  made  by  the 
women  of  the  household,  and  wetted  with  many 


The   Parting  77 


tears  in  warp  and  woof  by  the  sisters,  as  they  spun 
out  the  carded  rolls  of  wool,  or  manipulated  the 
golden  flax  threads,  and  by  their  mother,  as  she 
worked  at  the  loom  in  the  hot  August  afternoons,  or 
sewed  by  the  window  as  the  sun  sank  in  the  west, 
or  knitted  long,  soft  stockings  in  the  dim  twilight, 
with  loving  tears  and  saddening  forebodings. 

But  now  the  last  preparations  were  over,  and  the 
supper,  rich  and  varied  beyond  its  wont,  spoke  anew 
of  the  Render  and  loving  care  to  which  they  were  so 
soon  to  be  strangers,  although  little  was  eaten  by 
any  one  except  the  hired  man,  Joel,  who  made  huge 
inroads  on  the  eatables,  after  a  rough  but  well- 
meant  attempt  at  consolation. 

The  elder  Hay  and  his  sons  ate  sparingly,  but 
conversed  as  usual  on  all  matters  pertaining  to  the 
farm,  studiously  avoiding  in  the  main  all  that  per 
tained  to  coming  parting  or  possible  disaster;  for 
such  is  the  manner  of  the  men  of  the  Puritans.  The 
women,  however,  were  less  self-contained;  and  the 
youngest  sister,  little  Tempie,  burst  into  a  choking 
sob,  and  went  out  into  the  orchard,  where,  half  an 
hour  later,  Stephen,  on  his  way  to  bid  farewell  to 
Margaret,  found  her  lying  on  the  damp  grass,  in  a 
passion  of  childish  despair. 

He  raised  her  in  his  arms,  and  sat  down  for  a 
moment  on  the  gnarled  and  twisted  trunk  of  an 
ancient  apple-tree,  while  the  child  threw  her  arms 
around  his  neck,  buried  her  hot  face  in  his  hair,  and 
kissed  his  face  and  neck  passionately  once  or  twice. 

"I  shall  die,  Stepliie  dear,  if  you  leave  me,"  said 
the  child,  "and  you  will  never  see  your  little  Tempie 


78  Cartagena 


again.  Why  can't  you  stay  with  mother  and  me  and 
all  of  us.  We  should  be  happy  again,  just  as  we 
were  before  this  dreadful  war." 

"Oh,  dear  little  sister,  it  isn't  always  right  to  be 
happy,"  said  Stephen,  kindly.  "Do  you  remember 
how  you  kissed  me  for  saving  Uncle  Zenas  from 
drowning,  last  spring?" 

"Yes,  dear,  and  Margie  told  me  how  brave  and 
good  you  were,  and  I  was  so  proud  of  you,  and  that's 
one  reason  why  I  love  you  so  very  much."  * 

"Would  you  have  loved  me  if  I  had  let  him  sink  in 
the  deep  bay,  Tempie,  and  come  home  safe  myself 
to  you  and  mother?" 

"Why  no,  I — "  and  the  child  hesitated  as  if  un 
able  to  reconcile  herself  to  the  possibility  of  any 
such  act  on  the  part  of  her  idolized  brother. 

"Well,  dear,  that  is  something  like  the  way  that 
we  are  going  to  leave  you  and  all  the  dear  friends 
here,  to  face  danger  for  our  country  and  the  honor 
of  our  king.  Some  one  must  fight  and  bear  weari 
ness  and  pain,  and  why  should  your  brother  stay  at 
home  in  safety  while  the  brothers  of  other  sisters  are 
fighting  for  him?  Besides,  dear,"  and  here  the  man 
ly  voice  grew  reverent  and  strangely  sweet,  "our 
lives  are  not  in  our  hands,  and  God  will  guard  us  in 
all  dangers  there  as  he  does  everywhere  that  we  go. 
We  will  trust  Him,  and  do  as  He  would  have  us,  will 
we  not,  Tempie?" 

The  child  was  wise  beyond  her  years,  and  her  re 
ligious  teaching  had  been  so  interwoven  with  her 
every  day  life,  that  her  convictions  of  duty  were 
stronger  than  either  hope  or  fear.  Her  answer  was 


The  Parting  79 


strangely  composed,  and  she  rose  to  go  as  she  spoke, 
"You  can  go,  and  I  will  try  to  be  good  and  patient, 
but  I  shall  never  be  happy  any  more  until  you  come 
back  to  your  little  Tempie." 

But  Stephen  went  on  along  the  shaded  path,  and 
as  before  saw  the  shimmer  of  Margaret's  snowy 
dress  beside  the  well-curb,  at  the  turn-stile,  and  with 
her  went  down  to  the  trim  little  cottage  where  Uncle 
Zenas  received  him  with  hearty  greetings,  and  en 
tertained  him  with  his  best  cheer,  and  many  reminis 
cences  of  past  experiences  "among  those  bloody 
Spaniards  down  to  the  Main." 

"Don't  trust  none  on  'em,  lad,"  he  said,  as  he  rose 
to  retire  in  obedience  to  a  hint  from  his  sister. 
"Don't  trust  none  on  'em,  for  they'd  jest  as  soon 
knife  a  man  es  eat  their  dinner,  an'  seldom  show 
quarter  even  in  fair  fight.  But  I'll  see  ye  to-morrow, 
lad,  never  fear;  an'  here's  to  Admiral  Vernon  an' 
Lord  Cathcart,  an'  confusion  to  them  cut-throat 
Spaniards." 

So  saying,  Uncle  Zenas  finished  his  "night-cap"  of 
Santa  Cruz,  and  Stephen  and  his  affianced  were  left 
to  themselves  and  the  sorrows  of  their  parting.  It 
was  late  when  they  separated  at  the  well,  and  the 
pledges  of  constancy  which  each  uttered  were  such 
as  neither  man  nor  woman  should  hold  less  sacred 
than  the  legalized  marriage  vow,  which  only  death 
should  set  aside.  There  were  tender  words,  and  fond 
embraces,  and  bitter  tears  on  the  part  of  poor  Mar 
garet,  whose  soul  shrank  from  the  terrible  possi 
bilities  of  the  near  future.  Yet  Stephen,  as  he  went 
homeward,  felt  that  in  some  way  his  love  was  not 


80  Cartagena 


such  a  source  of  deep  and  confident  satisfaction  as 
it  should  have  been. 

"She  is  pretty  and  loving  and  good,"  he  solilo 
quized  as  he  came  in  sight  of  the  old  homestead. 
"Yet  poor  Tempie  loves  me  better  than  she,  for 
Tempie  would  have  me  noble  and  self-sacrificing 
even  while  she  suffers,  but  Margaret  has  never 
ceased  to  importune  me  to  give  up  going  and  settle 
down  at  home,  and  seems  only  half  reconciled  be 
cause  I  may  win  the  king's  commission.  I  would 
that  she  had  been  less  petted  and  more  self-sacrific 
ing,  but  father  ever  said  that  Uncle  Zenas,  though 
an  upright  and  liberal  man,  was  always  too  lax  in 
life,  and  careless  in  spiritual  things,  and  poor  Mar 
garet  is  not  to  blame  that  she  thinks  differently  from 
me." 

He  found  his  father  awaiting  him,  seated  Bible  in 
hand  by  the  light-stand  before  the  hearth,  on  which 
a  few  red  coals  still  gave  forth  a  mild  warmth  not 
ungrateful,  for  the  night  wind  was  cool  and  the  dew 
heavy  and  chill. 

"Sit  down  beside  me,  Stephen,"  said  his  father  in 
a  tone  which,  if  not  severe,  was  at  least  too  passion 
less  for  affection,  and  better  calculated  to  awaken 
veneration  and  respect  than  love.  Stephen  felt, 
with  a  curious  sense  of  mingled  amusement  and  vex 
ation,  something  of  that  filial  fear  with  which  in  boy 
hood  he  had  submitted  to  parental  reproof  and  cor 
rection,  but  quietly  seated  himself  as  directed. 

"I  have  stayed  up,  Stephen,  to  speak  with  you  of 
several  matters  of  importance,  which  it  seems  to 
me  you  ought  to  settle  before  you  set  out  on  so 


The  Parting  81 


serious  a  business  as  that  which,  in  the  providence 
of  God,  now  lies  before  you.  I  have  no  wish  to  in 
terfere  with  what  does  not  concern  me,  for  you  are 
of  age  and  have  a  right  to  do  as  you  please,  but  as 
your  father  I  should  wish  to  see  certain  matters 
settled  before  you  go." 

"I  shall  never  refuse  to  listen  to  your  counsel, 
father,"  said  Stephen,  "and  shall  be  glad  to  hear 
what  things  you  refer  to." 

"In  the  first  place,"  said  Deacon  Hay,  "I  have 
heard  that  you  are  betrothed  to  Margaret  Freeman. 
Is  that  the  case?" 

"It  is,"  said  Stephen,  coloring  slightly  as  he  spoke; 
"we  are  to  be  married  on  my  return,  should  I  be 
spared  to  do  so." 

"She  is  not  just  such  a  wife  as  I  should  have  pre 
ferred  for  you,"  said  the  elder  Hay,  with  grave  re 
gret,  "but  I  know  that  in  such  matters  remonstrance 
would  be  useless,  even  were  the  matter  not  settled  as 
it  is.  In  such  case,  however,  my  first  piece  of  ad 
vice  is  that,  if  you  desire  to  marry  her,  you  do  so  be 
fore  setting  out." 

"And  why?"  said  Stephen. 

"I  have  no  reason  to  give  which  would  be  satis 
factory  to  you,  but  if  your  happiness  rests  on  her 
companionship  through  life,  marry  her  now,"  said 
Hay,  sententiously.  "Those  who  are  married  are 
firmly  bound;  those  who  are  only  contracted  may 
change  their  fetters,  or  throw  them  off  at  will." 

"I  would  not  leave  her  a  widow,"  said  Stephen, 
hastily,  "and  she  has  no  need  of  the  little  property 
I  have  acquired,  which  in  due  course  of  inheritance 
will  benefit  you  all  in  case  of  my  death." 


82  Cartagena 


"That  is  another  matter  that  you  should  settle," 
said  Hay,  quietly.  "You  ought  to  leave  a  will  giving 
to  each  person  nearly  related  to  you  something,  be 
it  ever  so  little,  and  so  set  forth  your  desires,  as  to 
your  estate,  that  there  may  be  left  no  room  for  dis 
pute  or  contention." 

"I  should  hope,"  said  Stephen,  as  if  somewhat 
startled,  "that  there  is  no  fear  of  contention  or  ill 
blood  between  members  of  our  family.  I  am  sure  a 
wish  on  your  part  would  reconcile  me  to  any  possible 
division  of  your  property,  father." 

"Truly,  I  think  it  would,"  said  the  father  in  a 
softened  tone,  "but  you  have  less  of  that  love  of  gold, 
which  divides  families  and  sows  hate  among  broth 
ers,  than  most  men ;  and  I  may  say  that  I  have  taken 
much  delight  in  seeing  that  it  was  so,  and  the  child 
Tempie  shows  much  of  the  same  spirit.  Yet  I  would 
that  you  should  settle  this  matter.  See,  yonder  are 
pens,  ink  and  paper;  draw  up  your  will  tonight; 
there  is  one  your  great  grandfather  made  ere  he 
sailed  the  last  time  for  the  West  Indies,  and  you  can 
sign  and  have  it  witnessed  to-morrow."  And  Dea 
con  Hay  arose  as  if  to  retire. 

"Stay  a  moment,  father,"  said  Stephen,  earnestly, 
"I  should  like  to  know  something  of  what  disposi 
tion  you  have  made  of  your  own  property,  that  I 
may  know  who  has  the  most  need  of  mine." 

"That  is  well  thought  of,"  said  Elisha  Hay,  as  he 
again  seated  himself,  "and  this,  in  the  main,  is  the 
purport  of  my  will,  drawn  but  a  year  ago.  The 
homestead  has  ever  passed  to  the  eldest  son,  the 
widow  receiving  a  life  interest  therein,  sufficient  to 


The  Parting  83 


secure  her  shelter  and  sustenance  so  long  as  she 
may  remain  unmarried.  That  rule  I  shall  not  be  the 
first  to  break.  To  you  and  Elisha  I  have  left  the 
wood  sloop  of  which  I  am  owner,  my  interest  in  the 
salt-works  and  whale-fishery,  and  certain  lots  of 
woodland  and  marsh,  with  various  bequests  of 
money,  wearing  apparel  and  silver.  The  girls  are  to 
have  doweries,  charged  upon  the  other  devises,  suffi 
cient  to  give  them  a  fair  out-fit  at  marriage,  and  that 
is  about  all  that  can  be  said.  The  Lord  has  pros 
pered  you  above  your  brothers,  and  it  seems  to  me 
that  with  the  exception  of  Joshua  all  should  share 
in  your  estate,  if  so  be  you  should  never  return  to 
enjoy  it,  which,  Stephen,  may  God  forbid." 

Left  to  himself,  Stephen  seated  himself  at  the 
table,  perused  the  ancient  will,  creased  and  yellow, 
faded  as  to  its  ink,  and  blotted  and  blurred  with 
tears  and  time,  and  after  much  thought,  and  con 
siderable  pains,  for  his  strong,  shapely  fingers  did 
not  readily  turn  themselves  to  clerkly  exercise,  he 
drew  up  the  desired  instrument;  a  part  of  which  we 
insert,  mainly  as  a  specimen  of  the  temper  and  tone 
of  the  men  who  dwelt  in  New  England  some  eight 
score  years  ago: 

"!N  THE  NAME  OF  GOD,  AMEN!  I,  Stephen  Hay,  of 

S ,  in  the  County  of  Barnstable,  and  Colony  of 

Massachusetts  Bay,  yeoman,  being  of  sound  and  dis 
posing  mind  and  memory  and  about  to  proceed, 
through  God's  providence,  on  the  proposed  Expedi 
tion  to  the  Spanish  West  Indies  against  the  Ene 
mies  of  my  God  and  King,  do  make  and  declare  this 
to  be  my  last  Will  and  Testament. 


84  Cartagena 


"Item.  I  give  my  soul  to  God  through  the  media 
tion  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ,  and  my 
body  to  be  decently  interred. 

"Item.  I  bequeathe  to  my  dear  brother,  Elisha, 
his  heirs,  administrators  and  assigns,  the  whole  of 
my  real  estate,  wheresoever  situate,  to  be  held  by 
him  in  fee  simple,  subject  only  to  bequests  hereinaf 
ter  written,  and  the  support  of  our  common  parents, 
should  the  decrees  of  Providence  dispossess  them  of 
their  present  property." 

Then  followed  various  bequests  to  each  sister  and 
brother,  and  even  the  servants,  of  money,  personal 
property,  mourning  rings,  etc.,  etc.,  and  the  paper 
was  ready  for  declaration  and  signature. 

It  was  after  midnight  when  all  was  done,  and  be 
fore  Stephen  retired  he  stepped  into  the  back  room 
for  a  draught  of  wrater,  for  he  was  thirsty  and  fever 
ish,  with  conflicting  thoughts.  In  the  centre  of  the 
floor  lay  a  strange  object  like  a  belt,  with  a  hand 
some  dagger  sheathed  beside  it.  He  took  it  up  and 
carefully  inspected  it.  It  was  a  belt  of  a  curious 
leather,  banded  with  black  and  brown,  its  sur 
face  mottled  and  rough  with  tiny  depressions,  like 
those  left  by  the  removal  of  the  scales  of  a  serpent. 
The  weapon  was  a  long  Spanish  knife  such  as  the 
factories  of  Albacete  have  turned  out  for  centuries, 
and  the  mountings  of  the  hilt  and  scabbard  were  of 
solid  silver. 

The  belt  was  formed  of  small  pockets,  in  each  of 
which  were  found  Spanish  gold  pieces,  to  the  amount 
of  over  an  hundred  pounds  sterling.  The  following 
note,  traced  on  the  torn  leaf  of  a  ship's  log  book, 


The  Parting  85 


left  no  doubt  as  to  the  source  from  whence  they 
came: 

"A  snake's  skin,  they  say,  brings  luck  and  good 
sight,  but  I  know  it  to  be  light,  tough  and  water 
proof,  and  gold  and  steel  will  win  anywhere,  if  bold 
ly  used. 

•'Use  the  gold  freely.  As  to  the  steel,  you  may 
drive  it  through  a  silver  dollar  without  harm  to 
point  or  edge. 

"When  you  bring  back  news  of  my  brother,  leave 
word  at  the  Swan  Tavern  in  Boston  town  for  John 
Hewson.  So,  lad,  wishing  you  good  luck  and  fair 
booty,  I  send  you  with  these,  farewell." 

It  was  barely  dawn  when  the  recruits  ate  break 
fast  by  candle-light,  and,  bidding  farewell  to  friend 
and  neighbor,  drove  under  the  dewy  locusts  and 
along  the  sandy  mail  road  into  the  town;  and,  at 
noon,  with  beat  of  drum  and  sound  of  fife,  amid  cry 
ing,  cheering,  the  discharges  of  an  ancient  cannon, 
and  adieus  and  blessings  innumerable,  the  company 
of  nearly  one  hundred  stout  fellows,  without  arms 
or  uniforms  and  with  little  regard  to  military  order, 
took  up  their  line  of  march  for  Boston  town. 


Chapter    VIII. 
The  Muster  at  Boston 

The  march  of  the  company,  although  wearisome 
enough,  and  rendered  even  more  so  by  the  haste  of 
Kuggles,  anxious  to  forestall,  if  possible,  some  other 
captain  in  the  distribution  of  the  expected  commis 
sions,  had  little  about  it  of  the  pomp  and  circum 
stance  of  glorious  war.  The  line  of  march  was  by 
the  old  country  roads  to  Plymouth,  where  mine  host 
Witherell  furnished  the  men  with  bread  and  home 
made  cheese  and  the  inevitable  glass  apiece  of  New 
England  rum,  then  used  almost  universally  among 
the  colonists.  At  Kingston,  landlord  Brewster  en 
tertained  them ;  at  Hanover  Four  Corners  they  gath 
ered  around  the  ancient  tavern  then  kept  by  one  of 
the  Sylvesters,  and  since  replaced  by  the  Howard 
House,  the  last  dwelling  place  of  the  murderer  Cos- 
telo  and  his  victim.  But  the  landlord  here  had  more 
than  he  could  attend  to  at  short  notice,  and  the  old 
papers  at  the  State  House  tell  of  disbursements  to 
Seth  Gushing  and  Captain  Adams,  who,  like  the 
loyal  recruits  they  busied  themselves  to  entertain, 
are  hardly  to  be  individualized  from  among  the 
many  who  lie  under  the  turf  of  the  Hanover  ceme 
teries. 

Thence  they  came  to  Braintree,  and  there  were 
fed  by  one  Crosby;  and  at  Milton,  took  their 
last  refreshment  at  the  hands  of  Captain  Pierce, 
and  weary,  dusty  and  travel-worn  marched  into  Bos- 


The  Muster  at  Boston  87 

ton  town,  and  rested  at  their  rude  quarters  in  cer 
tain  warehouses  owned  by  one  Brackett  and  Simon 
Dillis. 

A  day  or  two  passed  and  a  general  muster  of  the 
nine  companies  present  took  place  on  Boston  Com 
mon,  and  Goffers,  Phillips',  Prescott's  and  Stewart's 
men,  in  their  new  scarlet  coats  and  cocked  hats, 
with  their  bright  English  muskets  and  pipeclayed 
belts,  headed  the  column,  and  behind  them  the  men 
of  Furney,  Richards,  Bloggett,  Wise  and  Kuggles 
marched  past  the  Province  House  and  through 
Bromfield's  lane  into  Marlboro'  street  and  out  upon 
the  Common,  where  the  governor  and  his  aides  in 
spected  them,  and  expressed  much  gratification  at 
the  stalwart  regiment  so  soon  recruited  for  the  ser 
vice  of  the  king  in  the  Bay  Colony. 

The  whole  town  was  ablaze  with  enthusiasm  and 
crowded  by  visitors  from  the  surrounding  country; 
the  taverns  were  thronged  with  thirsty  and  loyal 
subjects,  who  drank  to  the  success  of  Vernon  and 
Cathcart  and  to  the  utter  destruction  of  Spanish  do 
main  in  the  West  Indies,  while  the  rabble  shouted 
themselves  hoarse  and  eddied  from  point  to  point, 
as  the  whim  of  the  moment  or  some  new  object  of  at 
traction  called  them. 

But  already,  among  the  soldiery  and  in  the  coun 
cils  of  the  colony,  were  felt  the  premonitory  indica 
tions  of  that  insidious  yet  resistless  spirit  of  jeal 
ousy,  indecision  and  discontent  which  in  the  end  re 
sulted  in  complete  and  crushing  defeat  and  disgrace. 

The  governor,  in  the  midst  of  his  gratification  at 
the  prompt  concurrence  with  his  wishes  on  the  part 


Cartagena 


of  the  legislature  and  people  of  the  colony,  was  al 
ready  at  his  wits'  end  as  to  how  he  should  meet  the 
desires  of  the  captains  who  had  raised  their  quota  of 
men,  but  on  whom  he  had  no  hopes  of  conferring  the 
promised  royal  commission. 

The  officers  of  the  ununifornied  companies  chafed 
at  what  they  believed  to  be  unwarranted  neglect, 
and  at  the  drain  on  their  purses,  which  was  onerous 
indeed,  for  the  allowance  of  ten  shillings  weekly  per 
man  granted  by  the  colony  for  subsistence,  was  alto 
gether  inadequate  while  the  companies  remained  de 
tached  and  without  a  regular  commissariat  depart 
ment. 

Even  the  men  of  the  four  uniformed  companies 
were  dissatisfied;  for  their  first  lieutenants,  young 
English  gentlemen,  unaccustomed  to  meet  with  men 
of  spirit  and  native  independence  in  the  ranks,  made 
enemies  at  every  step  by  brutal  tyranny  or  supercil 
ious  insolence,  and  scarcely  concealed  their  con 
tempt  for  the  colonial  magnates  who  had  raised  and 
commanded  their  companies.  Then  the  uniforms 
sent  were  but  ill-made  and  ill-fitting,  though  showy ; 
watch-coats,  especially  needful  in  the  cold  fall 
nights  and  on  a  sea  voyage,  had  been  altogether  for 
gotten;  and  while  the  leather  stock  and  heavy  kit 
of  the  regulars  galled  and  chafed  necks  and  should 
ers  used  only  to  warm  and  loosely-fitting  clothing, 
allowing  free  circulation  and  movement,  the  men 
shivered  at  night  in  their  quarters  until  the  legisla 
ture  supplied  the  necessary  blankets,  overlooked 
by  the  British  quartermaster-general. 

But  most  of  all,  these  men,  drawn  from  among  the 


The  Muster  at  Boston  89 

hunters,  seamen  and  scouts  of  a  people  habituated 
to  a  constant  state  of  warfare,  and  especially  skilled 
in  the  use  of  fire-arms,  found  their  greatest  griev 
ance  in  the  new  and  bright,  but  heavy,  cumbrous  and 
inefficient  muskets  sent  out  for  their  especial  use. 
Scarcely  one  in  ten  was  there  among  them  but  was 
weak  in  the  lock,  over  hard  on  the  trigger,  straight 
of  stock,  and  ill-fitted,  and  in  all  the  workmanship 
of  the  poorest  and  coarsest  description.  Many  of 
them  were  sent  to  the  provincial  gunsmiths,  and  good 
Samuel  Miller,  locksmith  and  gunwright,  labored 
long  and  wearily  to  put  the  uncouth  weapons  into 
something  like  effective  shape  for  his  discontented 
countrymen. 

"Thar's  the  piece,  lad,"  he  said  to  one  of  his  cus 
tomers,  as  he  handed  over  the  regulation  musket  he 
had  just  ceased  work  upon,  "but  God  forbid  thet  I 
should  call  it  a  gun.  I've  fixed  the  hammer  so's  to 
hold  a  flint,  an'  tempered  the  steel,  stiffened  the 
mainspring  an'  eased  the  trigger,  an'  if  I  could  cut 
a  bit  out'n  the  stock  so  ye  could  look  along  the  bar'l, 
ye  might  manage  to  shoot  bird  shot  purty  well.  But 
it's  a  .horse's  weight  o'  iron  an'  brass,  an'  to  call  it  a 
weapon  is  very  near  lyin'  to  my  mind." 

"Thet's  so,"  said  his  customer,  a  stout  sun- 
browned  man  of  from  twenty-five  to  thirty,  with 
something  of  the  seaman  in  his  gait  and  manner. 
"I  only  wish  I  could  carry  the  gun  thet  I  hed  in  the 
Revenge  privateer  the  last  two  years  an'  hed  to 
send  down  home  again,  because  everything's  regula 
tion  with  us  now.  She  was  only  a  French  musket 
taken  from  one  of  those  red  devils  on  the  Penobscot, 


90  Cartagena 


but  she  threw  a  bullet  to  a  hair's  breadth,  an'  I 
couldn't  miss  a  Spaniard  with  her  if  I  tried.  'Tis  too 
bad  thet  we  should  have  such  guns  as  they've  given 
us.  About  as  much  use  as  so  many  broomsticks." 

Just  then  two  officers,  in  the  rich  uniform  of  the 
period,  entered,  the  elder  of  them  being  evidently  a 
little  ill  at  ease  in  his  regimentals,  but  of  a  manly 
carriage  and  gravely  benevolent  face.  His  com 
panion,  a  true  military  dandy,  cast  a  supercilious 
glance  around  and  received  without  notice  the  awk 
ward  military  salute  of  the  privateersman,  and 
beckoned  to  his  servant,  who  carried  under  his  arm 
an  elegantly  inlaid  pistol  case. 

"Good-day,  neighbor  Miller,"  said  the  elder  man 
cheerily,  "how  fares  the  good  wife  and  the  little  lad 
I  attended  last  spring;  hath  he  got  over  the  dis 
temper  and  become  strong  and  hearty  again?" 

"He  hath,  I  thank  God  an'  you,  doctor,"  said  the 
strong-armed  smith,  with  some  feeling.  "But,  truly, 
he  was  nearly  taken  from  us,  an'  the  disease,  they 
say,  hath  been  sorely  felt  in  the  western  towns,  an' 
even  at  the  college  at  Cambridge,  which  was  for  a 
time  sorely  afflicted  an'  broken  up  thereby.  As  to 
business,  what  with  the  birding  season  close  upon 
us,  an'  the  many  muskets  your  men  bring  in  to 
have  put  in  something  like  order,  I  can  scarce  keep 
up  with  the  work  on  hand." 

"Indeed,  I  am  glad  to  hear  it.  But  here  is  Lieu 
tenant  Woodside,  who  has  just  come  with  Colonel 
Blakeney  from  England,  and  goes  out  as  my  first 
officer.  He  has  a  pair  of  fine  pistols,  one  of  which 
is  somewhat  injured,  and  I  have  prevailed  on  him  to 
consult  your  skill." 


The  Muster  at  Boston  91 

"Stairs,"  said  the  Englishman,  curtly,  "where's 
the  box?" 

"Here,  sir,"  said  the  valet,  obsequiously,  stepping 
forward  and  opening  with  a  tiny  key  the  case,  which 
he  laid  on  the  rough  counter,  having  first  spread  a 
snow-white  handkerchief  to  save  the  varnish  from 
scratch  or  harm. 

"Now,  my  man,"  said  the  officer,  briskly,  "I'll  lay 
a  guinea  that  you  never  saw  in  your  life  a  brace  of 
pops  like  these,  and,  damme,  I'm  half  afraid  to  trust 
such  a  pair  of  beauties  to  any  colonial  tradesman; 
but  Capt.  Stewart  here  says  that  you  can  do  the  job; 
an'  faith,  they  must  go  with  me  any  way,  and  the 
best  pistol  is  of  no  use  without  a  hammer.  Be  care 
ful,  man,"  he  added,  as  the  smith  took  up  one  of  the 
delicate  weapons.  "You  handle  them  as  if  they  were 
Doune  tacks,  and  all  steel,  both  butt  and  barrel." 

'  "They  are  a  little  weak  here  an'  there,  thet's  a 
fact,  sir,"  said  the  gunsmith,  carelessly,  "but  I'll  buy 
'em  if  they're  any  the  worse  for  my  handlin'.  As  for 
repairing  on  'em,  thet  I  can  do  easily,  as  a  broken 
hammer  is  soon  replaced." 

"But  can  you  make  a  hammer  just  like  the  other?" 
asked  the  Englishman  somewhat  incredulously.  "I 
don't  want  the  pair  spoiled  or  botched,  and  I'll  be 
sworn  such  work  ain't  often  done  this  side  of  the 
water." 

"No,  sir,"  said  the  gunmaker,  composedly,  "thet's 
true;  but  it  can  be,  ef  thar  was  anybody  thet  would 
pay  for  it.  I  can  make  you  a  hammer  just  like  thet, 
but  the  extra  work  will  cost  you  two  guineas." 

"Is  that  all?    Why,  man,  the  pair  cost  fifty;  and 


02  Cartagena 


Mortimer,  of  London,  would  charge  me  five  for 
what  you  say  you  will  do  for  two.  But  can  you 
really  match  the  other?" 

The  colonist's  cheek  flushed  a  little,  as  if  the  evi 
dent  depreciation  of  his  abilities  had  begun  to  rouse 
a  feeling  of  resentment,  and,  turning,  he  took  from  a 
chest  a  long  pine  case,  and  laid  it  on  the  counter 
before  the  officer.  Very  deliberately  he  opened  it, 
and  took  from  it  a  small  carbine  swathed  in  waxed 
cloth,  which  he  slowly  unrolled,  revealing  a  piece  of 
exquisite  workmanship  and  ornamentation. 

"Thar's  a  little  piece  thet  I  made  for  my  own 
pleasure.  If  you  know  what  good  work  is,  tell  me 
what  you  think  of  thet." 

The  officer  took  the  weapon  with  an  exclamation 
of  admiration  and  surprise,  and  inspected  the  care 
fully-sighted,  inlaid  barrel,  the  lock,  curiously  fash 
ioned  and  exquisitely  carved,  and  the  stock  of  deep- 
hued  rosewood,  inlaid  with  gold  and  silver  wrire,  and 
mounted  in  engraved  steel  and  silver  plate. 

"  'Tis  impossible!"  he  murmured  to  himself,  and 
then  said  aloud,  "  'tis  French  workmanship,  an' 
that  of  the  best.  No  colonial  botcher  ever  turned 
out  work  like  that." 

The  Bostouian  laid  his  hands  upon  the  counter, 
vaulted  lightly  across  it,  and  the  next  moment 
would  have  had  his  hands  on  the  Englishman's 
throat,  had  not  Stewart  stepped  in  between. 

"Nay,  nay,  neighbor  Miller!  you  must  not  forget 
yourself  and  the  law  of  the  colony.  Lieutenant  Wood- 
side,  you  owe  this  man  an  apology.  I,  myself,  have 
seen  him  at  work  on  the  weapon  half  a  dozen  times 
in  the  past  three  years." 


The  Muster  at  Boston  93 

"Well,  well!  if  you  say  so,  I  can't  doubt  it;  so  take 
the  pistols,  and  finish  them  as  soon  as  may  be — d'ye 
hear?  But  what  is  this  that  you're  doing  to  the 
men's  guns?  Can't  your  Yankee  farmers  get  along 
with  the  arms  furnished  His  Majesty's  soldiers?" 

"Xor,  sir!"  thundered  the  irate  smith.  "Thar  isn't 
a  gun  of  the  four  hundred  sent  here  last  month  thet 
I'd  dare  to  sell  to  a  drunken  Injin;  an'  as  to  taking 
any  aim  in  battle  with  'em,  I  defy  the  best  man  in 
the  colony  to  be  sure  of  his  man  at  fifty  yards  with 
any  of  'em." 

"Take  aim?  Damme!  what  are  you  talking  of? 
Who  ever  heard  of  one  of  the  regulars  taking  aim? 
Do  you  want  our  soldiers  to  turn  murderers,  and 
aim  at  a  man  as  if  he  were  a  brute  beast?  A  soldier 
draws  up  his  weapon  breast-high  or  thereabouts, 
and  lets  drive;  and  I'll  have  no  man  under  me  taking 
aim  like  a  Tyrolese  jager." 

"Wai,  cap'n,"  replied  Miller,  in  utter  scorn,  "it 
may  be  as  you  say;  an'  ef  thet's  the  way  to  sojer. 
why,  all  I  hev  to  say  is,  thet  you've  got  jest  the  right 
weepons  for  it.  But  it's  a  sin  an'  shame  to  send  out 
the  best  lads  of  the  frontier  an'  our  smartest  priva- 
teersmen,  as  ef  they  was  ign'rant  Yorkshire  clod 
hoppers." 

"And  so  I  think,"  said  Stewart,  pleasantly  but 
firmly,  as  he  turned  to  go.  "So  do  your  best  to  make 
the  guns  serviceable,  and  if  the  colony  don't  pay  the 
bills,  I  will,  myself.  Good-day,  neighbor."  And,  tak 
ing  his  fellow-officer's  arm,  he  went  out. 

"Come,  Woodside,"  he  said  kindly  to  his  subal 
tern,  as  they  turned  down  the  street;  "you  must  for- 


94  Cartagena 


get  some  of  your  regular  army  ideas  in  dealing  with 
our  colonial  tradesmen,  aye,  and  our  volunteers,  too. 
They  are  not  such  stuff  as  the  cringing  shopmen  of 
Cheapside,  or  the  yokels  of  your  provincial  counties, 
nnd  the  man  who  bullies  or  browbeats  them  will 
find  himself  in  sorry  case." 

His  companion  turned  upon  him:  "Look  ye,  Mr. 
Stewart,  you  are  my  senior  and  commanding  officer, 
and,  I  doubt  not,  mean  well  by  your  counsel;  but 
damme  if  I  wouldn't  rather  die  than  have  my  friends 
say  that  Jem  Woodside  treated  a  lot  of  scurvy  colo 
nists  better  than  true  British  subjects,  and  so  think 
we  all  who  came  to  take  service  in  America." 

"Well,  have  your  way,  man,"  said  Stewart  gravely. 
"I  am  not  given  to  obtruding  advice  on  any;  but,  if 
you  will  listen,  I  should  like  to  tell  you  of  a  man  I 
did  wTarn  once  in  vain.  He  was  an  officer  of  the 
Eoyal  Americans  stationed  up  at  Lake  George,  and 
he  treated  the  private  soldier,  who  saluted  you  in 
yonder  shop,  as  he  would  have  done  his  own  stupid 
levies  at  home  in  England. 

"At  last,  the  soldier's  time  was  up,  for  he  was  a 
ranger  employed  only  for  a  few  months,  and  the 
officer  started  back  for  the  settlements  with  the 
same  party  that  Jack  Coggeshall  left  the  fort  with. 
I  counseled  him  to  wait,  for  Jack  had  told  him, 
when  he  struck  him  writh  his  riding  whip,  'that  the 
day  would  come  when  he  would  mark  him  for  life.' 
Nevertheless  he  wrould  go,  and  go  he  did." 

"And  what  did  yonder  hound  do?  Shoot  him  from 
behind  some  thicket,  or  drive  a  knife  into  his  back 
at  night?"  asked  Woodside  scornfully. 


The  Muster  at  Boston  95 

"Neither,"  said  Stewart;  "although,  as  he  since  told 
me,  it  often  seemed  as  if  he  could  no  longer  keep 
from  slaying  a  man  who  had  dared  to  strike  him 
like  a  dog,  and  whose  insolence  daily  led  him  to  add, 
to  the  sense  of  injury.  But  one  day  they  fell  Into  an 
Indian  ambush.  Two  of  their  party  were  killed  and 
several  wounded,  among  the  latter  this  officer,  who 
fell  with  his  leg  broken,  close  beside  Coggeshall,  and 
two  savages  sprang  out  of  the  'cover  to  take  the 
wounded  man's  scalp. 

"Jack  shot  down  the  first,  and  was  about  to  take 
to  his  heels,  when  the  doomed  man  looked  up  at  him 
in  perfect  despair,  and  hopeless  of  assistance  from 
the  one  whose  feelings  he  had  so  often  outraged, 
bowed  down  his  head  as  if  to  await  the  fatal  stroke. 
Coggeshall  called  to  his  companions,  and,  reversing 
his  gun,  rushed  up  to  the  second  savage,  beat  down 
his  guard  and  laid  him  senseless,  and  then,  with  the 
officer's  fusee,  shot  a  third  assailant,  while  his 
friends  rallied,  beat  off  the  war  party  and  saved  the 
wounded  lieutenant." 

"He's  a  brave  fellow,  and  true  man,"  said  Wood- 
side,  whose  better  nature  was  now  thoroughly 
aroused,  "and  what  did  the  officer  do  for  him?" 

Stewart's  face  assumed  a  peculiarly  bitter  expres 
sion  as  he  answered,  "He  insulted  him  again;  took 
out  his  purse  and  offered  him  fifty  guineas,  and 
promised  him  a  bottle  of  rum  at  the  halting-place, 
when  he  could  get  to  the  baggage." 

"And  Coggeshall?" 

"O,  Jack  flung  the  purse  at  his  feet,  and  told  him 
that  he  had  'had  his  revenge  on  a  fool  who  hadn't 


9G  Cartagena 


sense  enough  to  know  a  man  when  he  saw  one,  or 
was  gentleman  enough  to  respect  him  when  he 
found  him  out,'  and  a  day  or  two  later  the  party  got 
into  the  settlements,  and  they  parted. 

"Now,  Woodside,"  he  continued,  "we've  got  a 
good  lot  of  men,  many  of  them  as  well  educated  as 
either  of  us,  and  all  of  them  good  shots  and  brave 
and  self-respecting  men.  They  are  like  horses  that 
will  not  bear  the  spur,  and  a  few  like  Coggeshall  are 
dangerous  wrhen  angry,  and  used  to  peril  and  blood 
shed  from  their  youth.  It  wre  treat  these  like  men, 
they  will  not  only  follow  wherever  we  will  lead,  but 
many  will  go  where  we  have  neither  skill  or  strength 
to  follow,  and  we  should  be  but  fools  to  count  our 
judgment  in  war  better  than  theirs.  For  my  part  I 
shall  try  to  treat  them  like  men." 

"And  so  will  I,"  said  Woodside,  heartily.  "Gad- 
zook's,  but  a  man  would  be  a  fool  to  spur  a  willing 
horse,  and  I'll  e'en  try  to  remember  that  I  am  not  in 
England,  or  commanding  a  scurvy  lot  of  clumsy 
knaves;  but  I'm  certain  that  most  of  our  company 
who  came  over  with  me,  will  hardly  learn  their  les 
son  as  easily  as  I." 

"So  much  the  worse  for  them,  Woodside,"  said 
Stewrart,  sadly,  "but  I  blame  them  little,  for  such  hath 
always  been  the  manner  of  Englishmen  who  come 
to  do  the  king  service  among  us,  and  great  have  been 
the  perils  arising  therefrom.  I  will  not  deny  that  I 
myself  find  it  difficult  to  bear  writh  the  ill-advised 
carriage  of  English  army  and  naval  officers  I  have 
met,  and  much  I  fear  that  in  the  present  expedition, 
we  shall  suffer  more  from  neglect  and  insult,  than 
from  disease  and  battle." 


The  Muster  at  Boston  97 

"Why  then  do  you  leave  wife  and  child,  and 
friends,  and  a  position  of  wealth  and  honor  on  such 
an  errand?"  asked  Woodside,  as  if  in  amazement. 

"Because  we  of  Massachusetts  are  anxious  to 
show  ourselves  loyal,  brave  and  adventurous;  and 
also  because  we  all  have  suffered  much  from  the  in 
humanity  and  selfishness  of  the  Spaniards.  And  the 
Bay  Colony  would  have  raised  double  the  number 
she  has  raised  to  go  on  such  a  service  had  the  king 
been  pleased  to  ask  for  them." 

So  ended  the  conversation,  and  henceforth  a  bet 
ter  feeling  existed  between  Captain  Stewart's  men 
and  the  "regular  leftenant,"  who  made  his  peace 
with  the  gunsmith,  praised  his  work  when  finished, 
paid  him  liberally  as  agreed,  and  while  always  dig 
nified  and  exacting,  was  always  carefully  consider 
ate  of  the  feelings  and  comfort  of  his  volunteers. 

A  day  or  twro  later  Captain  Ruggles  handed  into 
the  governor  a  paper,  still  in  existence,  entitled  "A 
List  of  Men  under  ye  Command  of  Capt.  Timo.  Rug 
gles  for  ye  Intended  Expedition  against  ye  Spanish 
Wrest  Indies,"  and  then  followed  a  list  of  about  one 
hundred  men,  after  which  the  paper  concluded  in  the 
following  characteristic  words: 
"May  it  Please  Your  Excellency: 

"Pursuant  to  your  Excellency's  order  to  me  Given, 
for  raising  a  Company  of  Volunteers  for  the  In 
tended  Expedition  against  ye  Spanish  West  Indies, 
I  have  Done  it  and  beg  leave  to  Lay  before  your  Ex 
cellency  ye  foregoing  list;  being  a  List  of  their 
names  for  your  Excellency's  approbation,  and  are 
y'r  Excellency's  most  Obedient  humble  servant, 

TIMO.  RUGGLES. 


98  Cartagena 


Boston,  Aug.  26,  1740. 

To  his  Excellency,  Jonathan  Belcher,  Captain  Gen 
eral  &  Governor  in  Chief." 

But  although  assurances,  public  and  private,  were 
not  wanting,  that  commissions,  arms  and  clothing 
for  the  remaining  six  companies  would  soon  arrive 
from  New  York,  each  day  the  hopes  of  Timothy  Bug 
gies  and  the  other  captains  grew  fainter,  and  the 
people  began  to  doubt  the  wisdom  of  their  governor 
and  the  probability  of  any  expedition  for  that  year  at 
least,  while  day  by  day  the  commands  of  Wise  of 
Ipswich,  Furney  and  Kichards  of  Boston,  Bloggett 
of  Woburn,  and  Ruggles  of  Sandwich  were  losing 
men,  who  wearied  of  the  uncertainty  and  delays  of 
the  enterprise. 


Chapter    IX. 
Off  for  Jamaica 

A  few  days  later,  however,  the  action  of  the  leg 
islature  cut  the  gordian  knot  by  giving  to  all  the 
companies  not  already  supplied  with  arms,  and 
sworn  into  the  service,  permission  to  disband,  the 
men  being  allowed  to  retain  their  bounty  and  to  be 
paid  their  dues  until  the  date  of  disbandment;  and 
in  a  few  hours  most  of  the  men  had  departed  for 
their  several  homes,  leaving  the  gentlemen  who  had 
spent  so  much  time  and  money  in  vain,  to  digest 
their  disappointment  as  best  they  might. 

The  blow  was  a  heavy  one  to  Captains  Furney, 
Richards  and  Buggies,  who  had  really  desired  active 
service;  to  the  governor,  whose  efforts  when  so  near 
complete  success  had  been  doomed  to  so  bitter  a  de 
feat;  and  especially  so  to  Stephen  and  Untequit,who 
were  more  strongly  interested  in  the  especial  work 
of  the  expedition  than  many  others.  Lish  seemed 
rather  glad,  upon  the  whole,  that  the  scheme  had 
miscarried,  and  the  Indians  were  ready  to  go  or  stay, 
as  Untequit  might  determine. 

"I  can  do  nothing  more  for  you,  Stephen,"  said  his 
late  captain,  mournfully,  as  the  little  group  stood 
for  the  first  time  in  the  empty  warehouse  which  had 
formed  their  barracks,  "except  to  promise  you  pay 
for  your  lost  time  as  soon  as  my  petition  for  com 
pensation  can  be  put  before  the  general  court.  Of 
course  you  will  go  home  as  soon  as  maybe,  and  I 


100  Cartagena 


heard  that  Captain  Blackwell's  sloop  was  to  sail 
to-morrow,  and  can  secure  a  passage  home  without 
cost  for  such  of  the  company  as  choose  to  go  by 
water." 

"You  can  set  me  down  for  one,"  said  Lish,  with 
more  of  his  old  spirit  than  he  had  shown  for  several 
days.  "I've  had  enough  of  the  regular  service  and 
British  upstart  officers,  and  though  I'm  ready  to  go 
privateering  or  out  on  the  frontier,  I'm  mighty  glad 
to  go  home." 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  so,"  said  Stephen 
quietly,  "and  shall  have  nothing  to  regret  if  the  ser 
vice  proves  deadlier  than  we  hope.  For  my  part, 
however,  I  have  determined  to  go  as  a  simple  volun 
teer,  and  so  I  learn  will  Captain  Furney,  whose  men 
have  also  disbanded." 

"And  I  go  with  you,"  said  Untequit,  whose  whole 
bearing  had  been  gloomy  and  dejected  for  some 
days  past,  "and  all  Indian  men  too,  that  is  if  we 
may." 

"Are  you  really  in  earnest?"  asked  Ruggles  in 
some  amazement.  "Will  you,  who  at  the  least  would 
have  carried  our  ensign's  half-pike,  assume  the 
rough  uniform  and  clumsy  muskets  the  king  has 
sent  us?" 

"I  will  if  I  get  the  chance,  captain,  assuredly," 
said  Stephen  quietly.  "I  think,  as  to  myself,  that  Dr. 
Stewart  will  readily  give  me  a  place  in  his  company, 
and  if  I  could  get  another  for  William  here,  I  should 
be  perfectly  satisfied." 

Ruggles  beckoned  him  aside  and  in  a  low  tone 
said:  "A  new  company  is  being  formed  by  Captain 


Off  for  Jamaica  101 


Edward  Winslow,  who  is  willing  to  trust  to  the  gov 
ernor's  promise  that  he  shall  receive  his  commission 
and  arms  for  his  men,  as  soon  as  they  join^iiic'  Isd, 
gade  headquarters,  which  will  probably  b<;  in 
ca.  He  would  like  the  dozen  of  men  yoti'-can 
ence,  and  a  sergeant's  stripes  are  better  than  noth 
ing.  Shall  I  tell  him  that  you  will  bring  him  the 
Mashpee  hunters?" 

Stephen  pondered  a  moment  before  he  answered, 
and  then  said  frankly,  "When  I  enlisted  these  men 
I  trusted  in  your  promise,  and  had  you  received  your 
commission,  should  have  been  able  to  care  for  them 
and  promised  Untequit  thus  to  do;  but  as,  through 
no  fault  of  yours,  that  may  not  be,  I  would  not  that 
they  should  fall  into  unmanly  and  ungenerous  hands 
by  trusting  me.  If  you  can  arrange  matters  so  that 
William  and  I  can  have  a  place  under  Stewart,  I 
shall  be  more  than  satisfied." 

"I  can  promise  you  so  much,  at  least,"  said  Rug- 
gles,  "but  I  would  that  wiser  men  had  planned  this 
matter,  for  the  king  never  had  a  better  chance  of 
raising  six  thousand  stout  fellows  in  the  Americas." 

Two  hours  later,  Stephen  and  Untequit  had  made 
arrangements  to  enter  themselves  in  Stewart's  com^ 
pany;  and  the  worthy  physician  had  in  parting  given 
them  friendly  and  disinterested  advice.  "Come  to 
me  in  a  day  or  two;  I  will  keep  a  place  for  you,. never 
fear,  for  Captain  Ruggles  has  long  been  priding  him 
self  on  his  lieutenant  and  the  Indian  marksmen  he 
brought  with  him.  I  am  only  sorry  that  every  com 
mission  and  warrant  are  filled,  and  I  can  only  prom 
ise  you  to  be  a  kind  officer  and  a  true  comrade  to 


102  ( 1artagena 


all  who  trust  me  as  their  captain.  Now  be  off  and 
bid  your  'friends  good-bye,  and  then  come  back  to 
me*."  7"~  *  ' 

•  So  -Steplven  and  his  servant  bade  adieu  to  the  men 
x  *  of  ^a'lidwich'as  the  little  sloop  made  sail  at  Scar 

lett's  wharf,  and  then  went  to  Captain  Stewart  and 
took  the  oath  and  bounty ;  which  latter,  as  both  had 
received  it  before,  they  handed  over  to  their  captain, 
to  be  added  to  the  company  fund  for  extra  stores  to 
be  used  during  the  coming  voyage. 

Thereafter  the  enterprise  seemed  to  draw  more 
speedily  to  its  fit  conclusion,  and  from  all  quarters 
came  news  of  the  embarkation  of  the  quotas  of  the 
various  colonies.  Early  in  September  Lieut.  Col. 
Cope,  governor  of  the  English  settlements  at  Pla- 
centia,  Newfoundland,  had  arrived  at  headquarters 
in  New  York,  and  with  Colonels  Gooch  and  Blake- 
ney  had  arranged  for  the  rendezvous  at  that  city  of 
the  contingents  of  the  northern  colonies.  The  com 
mittee  appointed  for  the  purpose  had  prepared  suit 
able  transports,  and  by  the  twenty-second  day  of  the 
month  the  four  companies  already  raised  were  em 
barked  on  board  the  large  sloops  chosen  for  the  ser 
vice,  and  dropped  down  to  Nantasket  Roads ;  where, 
in  the  last  three  centuries,  so  many  Massachusetts 
men  have  wearily  awaited  the  leisure  of  bungling 
and  incapable  officials,  through  the  intolerable  dis 
comfort,  noise  and  ennui  of  transport  life; until  after 
interminable  delays  the  signal  for  sailing  has  been 
given,  and  the  soldiers'  last  adieus  are  blent  with  a 
sense  of  relief  from  utter  weariness  of  inaction  and 
discomfort. 


Off  for  Jamaica  103 


From  that  anchorage  sailed  Sir  Hovenden  Walker, 
on  his  disastrous  attempt  against  Quebec  in  1711; 
Sir  William  Hiips's  luckless  transports  awaited  his 
signal  for  sailing  there  scarce  a  generation  before; 
there  lay  at  anchor  the  fleets  destined  for  Louisburg 
in  1745  and  1755;  and  the  British  fleet  after  the 
evacuation  of  Boston,  in  177G,  for  nearly  two 
months  awaited  there  their  consorts  and  supply 
ships  due  from  England. 

There  are  still  living  those  who  can  tell  of  similar 
experiences  in  the  war  of  1812  and  the  days  of  the 
Mexican  invasion;  and  hundreds  can  number  among 
their  dreariest  experiences  of  the  great  rebellion, 
their  first  contemplation  of  the  narrow  quarters  as 
signed  at  sea  to  a  private  soldier,  while  awaiting 
"further  orders"  or  fairer  weather  in  Nantasket 
Roads. 

But  by  the  twenty-seventh,  Captain  Edward  Win- 
slow  had  filled  up  his  company,  which  with  only  the 
watchcoats  and  blankets  procured  for  them  by  the 
colony  were  sent  on  board  the  little  fleet,  which, 
with  a  favorable  breeze,  started  on  the  -voyage  to 
New  York,  a  voyage  which  then  was  not  without  its 
share  of  peril  from  private  armed  cruisers,  an  occa 
sional  pirate  and  "the  public  enemy." 

Early  in  the  voyage  the  guns  were  "scaled,"  i.  e., 
discharged,  to  cleanse  them  from  rust  and  ensure 
perfect  dryness,  for  all  the  vessels  carried  an  arma 
ment  mostly  of  small  iron  cannon  of  three,  four  and 
six  pound  calibre,  with  an  equal  number  of  one 
and  two  pounder  swivels,  whose  pivots  fitting  into 
sockets  in  the  rail  and  on  the  forecastle  were  easily 


104  Cartagena 


removed  to  any  desired  position,  and  when  loaded 
with  musket  or  pistol  balls  were  calculated  to  make 
sad  havoc  among  attacking  boats,  or  a  mass  of  ad 
vancing  boarders. 

As  soon  as  the  little  fleet  was  fairly  at  sea,  the 
men  were  supplied  with  cartridges,  allotted  to  their 
several  stations,  and  a  few  whose  former  experience 
as  privateersmen  had  especially  fitted  them  for  the 
task,  w7ere  appointed  to  serve  at  certain  of  the  gun? 
and  swdvels  aforesaid. 

To  the  officers  and  the  captain  and  mate  of  each 
transport  was  allotted  the  great  cabin,  with  its  wide 
berths  and  yawning  fireplace,  at  wrhich  the  servants 
with  much  petty  quarrelling  prepared  little  delica 
cies,  or  made  tea  and  heated  water  for  their  masters' 
delectation. 

The  forecastles  were  given  up  to  the  crews,  who 
failed  not  to  turn  an  honest  penny  by  parting  with 
their  coarse  but  ample  fare  of  fish,  bacon,  baked 
beans,  vegetables,  apple  and  mince  pies,  doughnuts 
and  other  Yankee  comestibles  to  the  poor  recruits 
for  whom  hard  salt  beef,  pork,  ship's  bread  and  rum 
were  all  that  the  commissariat  departments  had  pro 
vided. 

For  their  accommodation  the  sloops  had  been  bal 
lasted  with  clean  gravel,  strongly  secured  and  floored 
over,  and  on  the  deck  thus  formed  rough  berths  had 
been  constructed,  to  which  rude  stairs  down  the 
hatchways  gave  access  in  fine  weather,  but  in  storma 
or  wet  days  the  only  means  of  exit  was  through 
the  forecastle.  Of  the  size  of  the  vessels  one  can 
judge  by  the  fact,  that  the  five  Massachusetts  com- 


Off  for  Jamaica  105 


panies  required  six  or  seven  vessels  to  transport 
them  to  New  York. 

On  their  arrival  they  found  encamped  at  the  Bat 
tery,  two  Rhode  Island,  four  Connecticut,  and  five 
New  York  companies,  which,  with  the  six  Massachu* 
setts  and  New  Hampshire  companies,  made  a  total 
of  seventeen  preparing  to  sail.  Several  English 
men-of-war  were  in  port  with  orders  to  convoy  the 
fleet,  and  it  was  evident  that  the  stay  at  New  York 
would  be  brief  indeed. 

Seven  companies  had  already  sailed  from  Penn 
sylvania,  and  an  eighth  was  soon  to  follow ;  Virginia 
had  despatched  four  companies  of  her  con 
tingent  of  eight,  Maryland  had  three  hundred  men 
ready  for  sea,  and  North  Carolina  had  raised  four 
companies  for  the  great  expedition.  About  four 
thousand  men  were  thus  under  arms,  and  yet,  as  we 
have  seen,  it  was  not  the  fault  of  the  colonists  that 
the  number  was  not  nearly  six  thousand  men. 

But  the  delays  of  the  enterprise  were  not  yet 
ended,  and  it  was  nearly  the  middle  of  October  be 
fore  the  fleet  of  transports,  some  forty  in  number, 
sailed  out  by  Sandy  Hook  with  the  usual  fuss  of  sig 
nal  guns  and  display  of  colors,  with  which  the  cruise 
of  a  large  convoy  always  commences.  The  voyage 
was  tedious,  but  not  disastrous,  lasting  in  all  about 
three  weeks,  and  under  date  of  Dec.  3,  1740,  an 
officer  high  in  command,  probably  Col.  Gooch,  wrote 
from  Port  Royal,  Jamaica,  to  a  friend, — 

"I  am  in  a  great  hurry,  having  the  whole  care  of 
3100  men  until  the  other  field  officers  arrive.  Shall 
then  have  charge  of  the  1st  Battalion.  There  are 


106  Cartagena 


four  companies  of  Virginia,  three  of  Maryland,  and 
four  of  North  Carolina  troops  yet  to  come." 

There  the  troops  were  kept  awaiting  the  slow  com 
ing  of  the  great  fleet,  which,  like  all  the  cumbrous 
armadas  of  the  past,  was  delayed  by  adverse  winds 
and  scattered  by  storms,  and  the  Massachusetts  offi 
cers  saw  with  amazement  the  beauties  of  that  tropical 
island,  and  the  strange  laxity  of  life  among  the  Eu 
ropean  residents  and  their  friends  of  the  regular  ser 
vice.  Those  who  were  led  to  join  therein  sorely  la 
mented  their  heavy  losses  at  play,  and  the  general 
utter  disregard  of  money,  which,  if  it  made  the  guest 
the  recipient  of  unstinted  entertainment,  bore  so 
heavily  on  him  when  he  in  turn  became  the  host, 
that  even  the  sudden  and  frequent  loss  of  their  com 
rades, — which  soon,  alas,  became  but  too  common, — 
seems  to  have  scarcely  awakened  such  surprise  and 
admiration  among  the  American  captains,  as  the 
dissipations  of  the  country,  and  the  high  cost  of  liv 
ing  and  entertainment. 

But  Stephen  and  Untequit  saw  but  little  of  such 
folly,  for  their  captain  grew  grave  and  watchful,  and 
warned  his  men  against  many  things  which  seemed 
pleasant  and  inviting,  keeping  his  men  quiet -at 
noondays,  temperate  in  the  use  of  fruit  and  stimu 
lants,  well  clothed  and  under  cover  in  the  dewy 
nights,  and,  above  all,  so  far  as  he  could,  sufficiently 
drilled  to  secure  needed  exercise  and  employment, 
and  to  raise  their  minds  and  keep  their  spirits  above 
the  especial  trials  of  their  situation. 

For  already  the  dangerous  fluxes  of  that  climate 
had  fastened  upon  the  intemperate  and  careless. 


Off  for  Jamaica  107 


Yellow  Jack  had  made  its  appearance  on  ship  and 
shore,  and  at  almost  any  hour  of  the  day  could  be 
seen  the  hasty  obsequies  of  soldier  and  sailor,  or  the 
more  ceremonious  funeral  cortege  of  some  officer, 
whose  aspirations  had  been  summarily  ended  by  the 
diseases  peculiar  to  a  tropical  climate. 

Nevertheless,  many  of  the  provincials  were  de 
lighted  with  the  excesses  and  epicurean  delights  of 
their  Jamaican  acquaintances,  and  the  compliments 
paid  them  on  every  hand  by  officers  high  in  rank, 
who  praised  their  loyalty,  wondered  at  the  readiness 
with  which  so  large  and  fine  a  body  of  men  had  been 
raised,  and  predicted  for  them  a  more  than  ordinary 
share  in  the  laurels  and  more  substantial  rewards 
of  the  success  sure  to  attend  their  enterprise. 

The  men,  howrever,  wrere  less  satisfied,  complain 
ing  bitterly  of  insults  and  even  blows  received  at  the 
hands  of  British  officers,  many  of  whom  were  of  the 
brutal  school  of  such  as  had  served  in  Germany, 
whose  canes  were  but  too  ready  to  punish  the  slight 
est  lapse  from  the  iron  rules  of  military  etiquette 
and  respect  for  one's  superiors. 

And  so,  although  Captain  Winslow  received  his 
commission,  and  drew  arms  and  uniforms  for  his 
men,  and  those  high  in  rank  were  but  too  anxious 
to  keep  every  promise  made  to  their  colonial  allies, 
it  was  not  without  anxiety  that  the  American 
officers  awaited  the  corning  of  Lord  Vernon  and 
Lord  Cathcart,  under  whose  leadership  they  hoped 
to  end,  at  once  and  forever,  the  long  feud  between 
Englishman  and  Spaniard,  so  far  as  the  new  world 
was  concerned. 


108  Cartagena 


But  while  here,  Untequit  met  with  an  adventure 
not  uncommon  in  the  West  Indies,  but  one  of  no  very 
agreeable  nature  nevertheless;  yet  one  which  in  the 
end  more  firmly  cemented  the  strong  attachment  al 
ready  existing  between  Stephen  and  himself;  for  as 
they  wrere  at  work  one  day  preparing  some  firewood 
for  the  use  of  the  company  cooks,  Untequit  sudden 
ly  uttered  a  cry  of  pain,  and  shook  from  his  wounded 
hand  a  centipede  which  had  been  hidden  in  one  of 
the  faggots. 

"He's  pisoned,"  shouted  a  volunteer,  and  crushed 

^the  reptile  with  his  heel.    After  which  he  started  for 

a  doctor,  calling  out  at  every  rod  that  "Untequit  was 

pisoned  and  would  die  if  he  didn't  git  a  doctor  to 

once't." 

Luckily  he  soon  met  Captain  Stewart,  who  at  once 
hastened  to  the  spot,  where  in  the  centre  of  a  dozen 
men  he  found  the  patient  already  in  the  hands  of 
Stephen,  who  had  caught  up  a  piece  of  cord,  tightly 
encircled  the  bitten  finger,  and  was  engaged  in  suck 
ing  the  poison  from  the  tiny  wound,  rinsing  his 
mouth  from  time  to  time  with  a  little  rum  offered 
him  by  a  bystander. 

"Well  done,  Hay,"  said  Stewart,  kindly.  "That  is  a 
pretty  sure  way  to  cure  a  snake  bite  and  it  won't 
hurt  now,  but  a  little  ammonia  will  make  everything 
all  right  in  a  few  hours,  and  you  must  look  out  for 
such  creatures  hereafter/' 

"Aren't  they  dangerous,  then?"  asked  Stephen, 
simply. 

"Not  in  the  case  of  temperate  and  healthy  men, 
although  those  whose  blood  is  corrupted  by  drink 


Off  for  Jamaica  109 


and  high  living,  sometimes  lose  their  lives  from  gan 
grene,  I  am  told;  but  Untequit  is  not  of  that  class. 
Nevertheless  you  are  none  the  less  to  be  praised  for 
your  unselfish  services,  and  I  am  sure  you  will  not 
regret  it." 

Untequit  cast  a  look  of  gratitude  at  his  officer, 
and  rising,  followed  him  to  obtain  the  promised 
remedy. 

"I  shall  never  forget  it,  brother,"  he  whispered  as 
they  waited  a  moment  alone  together,  "but  you 
have  done  even  more  than  you  thought  for  me,  and 
henceforth  I  am  yours  to  the  death,  for  you  have 
at  lastmade  forever  complete  the  bond  of  blood." 

"So  be  it,"  said  Stephen,  with  a  smile;  "I  have 
often  thought  that  I  might  have  humored  you  in  so 
small  a  matter,  but  now  you  are  content  in  spite  of 
my  refusal.  Now  that  it  is  so  I  am  no  more  true 
comrade  than  before,  for  I  think  you  can  trust  me 
in  whatever  a  man  may  expect  of  his  friend,  or  rely 
on  in  his  brother  in  arms." 

"Then  tonight  I  will  tell  you  why  I  desired  to  trust 
you,  and  wherefore  I  came  with  you  to  this  ac 
cursed  place,  for  I  have  come  too  late  to  save  him." 

As  he  spoke  a  look  of  anguish  overcast  his  face, 
but  it  passed,  nor  did  the  stinging  alkaline-lotion 
bring  a  shadow  to  the  impenetrable  features,  which 
greeted  the  captain  when  he  came  back  on  his  er 
rand  of  healing. 


Chapter  X. 
Caneotus 

It  was  nearly  noon  the  next  day  before  the 
friends  received  leave  until  the  next  morning,  a  priv- 
lege  only  obtained  at  the  urgent  solicitation  of  Cap 
tain  Stewart,  to  whom  Stephen  had  explained  that 
peculiar  circumstances  had  induced  his  servant  to 
come  upon  the  expedition,  which  were  unknown 
even  to  himself. 

"It  is  wholly  against  rule  to  grant  your  request," 
said  his  indulgent  superior,  "and  in  most  cases  I 
should  not  hesitate  to  refuse  you  at  once.  Have 
you  no  idea  of  the  purpose  Untequit  has  in  view,  in 
this  night  journey?" 

"None  in  the  least,  and  I  do  not  know  that  I  can 
enlighten  you  on  my  return.  Of  this  I  am  certain, 
however,  that  I  shall  return  promptly  and  that  Unte 
quit  will  accompany  me  also." 

"Where  is  he  now?" 

"I  left  him  talking  with  a  stranger  whom  I  took 
to  be  an  Indian  at  first,  but  from  his  dress,  I  sup 
pose  he  must  be  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  native 
chiefs  of  this  part  of  the  world.  But  here  he  comes, 
and  seems  anxious  to  speak  with  you,  captain." 

The  Indian  came  forward,  and  saluted  as  he 
halted  before  the  captain,  but  his  face  seemed  even 
graver  and  sadder  than  ever,  and  in  his  dark,  deeply 
sunken  eyes  there  was  that  eloquent  look  of  suppli 
cation,  of  wistful  entreaty,  which  is  seen  only  in  the 


Caneotus  111 


animal  kingdom,  and  in  human  beings  whose  emo 
tions  and  passions  are  still  untrammeled  by  artificial 
restraints. 

"What  is  it,  Untequit?"  asked  Stewart,  gently. 

"My  brother  has  asked  leave  to  go  yonder  to  the 
hills?" 

"Yes." 

"I  have  come  to  ask  still  more.  I  would  ask  you 
to  go  with  us." 

"For  what?"  asked  the  surprised  captain,  while 
over  Stephen's  face  a  shade  of  doubt,  suspicion  and 
alarm  showed  that  even  his  trust  in  Untequit  wav 
ered. 

"There  is  a  sick  and,  I  fear,  a  dying  friend  await 
ing  me  in  the  hills;  one  whose  blood  runs  in  my 
veins,  whose  name  I  bear  among  my  own  people.  I 
must  save  his  life  if  I  can.  The  captain  is  a  great 
doctor,  and  can  heal  him  if  it  is  not  too  late;  and  if 
he  wants  gold,  he  shall  be  paid;  if  he  requires  ser 
vice  I  will  follow  him  to  the  death." 

"How  far  must  we  go,  Untequit?"  asked  Stewart, 
quietly,  as,  taking  out  an  old  medicine  case,  he  ex 
amined  the  tiny  phials,  and  then  on  a  slip  of  pre 
scription  paper  wrote  a  brief  note,  with  which  he 
despatched  his  orderly  to  the  colonel's  quarters. 

"Will  you  go  without  asking  who  or  what  the 
man  may  be,  and  wherefor  Untequit  is  so  inter 
ested  in  one  who  may  be  a  slave,  an  outlaw,  or  at 
best  an  obscure  and  poor  mountaineer?"  asked  Ste 
phen,  in  surprise.  "I,  indeed,  who  am  bound  by 
many  ties  to  him,  am  content  to  risk  all  things  for 
him ;  but  why  you  should  be  ready  to  do  so  surprises 
me,  I  must  confess." 


112  Cartagena 


"I  do  not  care  who  the  man  is,"  said  Stewart, 
quietly.  "If  he  is  sick,  the  true  physician  cares  to 
know  nothing  more,  except  how  best  to  restore  him 
to  health.  For  the  rest,  although  I  ana  your  cap 
tain,  we  are  still  comrades,  and  if  I  cannot  join  you 
in  a  night  march,  I  am  scarcely  fit  to  lead  you  in  the 
sterner  work  before  us.  As  to  Untequit,  he  has,  I 
doubt  not,  good  reasons  for  being  silent  in  the  city 
and  where  the  walls  are  but  of  canvas.  He  perhaps 
w  ill  tell  us  more  in  the  greenwood." 

The  Indian's  eyes  fell,  and  for  a  moment  he 
seemed  troubled  to  give  expression  to  his  utterance^ 
but  at  last  he  said: 

"There  is  nothing  that  you  shall  not  know  in  due 
season,  nor  shall  you  find  Untequit  ungrateful.  But 
let  us  take  yonder  canoe,  and  cross  to  the  other 
shore." 

"But  shall  we  not  take  our  arms?"  asked  Stephen. 
"The  mountains  are  full  of  outlaws,  they  say,  and 
even  now  a  reward  is  offered  for  the  head  of  Caneo- 
tus  and  his  sons." 

"You  may  take  your  pistols  if  you  will,  captain," 
said  Untequit,  "and  had  we  good  muskets  we  might 
bring  back  a  wild  hog  or  some  parrots  to  eat,  instead 
of  this  half-spoiled  beef  we  are  receiving;  but  where 
we  are  going  we  shall  not  need  arms  to  protect  us — 
unless,  indeed,"  he  added,  bitterly,  "we  fall  in  with 
white  men  in  the  hills." 

Half  an  hour  later,  the  three,  armed  and  pro 
vided  with  rations  for  a  day's  absence,  went  down  to 
the  dockyard,  and  from  a  raft  of  floating  mast-logs, 
embarked  in  a  Jamaican  canoe  brought  there  by  tho 


Caneotus  113 


stranger  who  had  been  seen  conversing  with  Unte- 
quit.  The  latter  took  a  paddle,  and,  heading  to  the 
north,  they  crossed  to  a  comparatively  unfrequented 
part  of  the  shore,  and,  ascending  the  bank,  and  fol 
lowing  a  winding  forest  path,  found  themselves  on 
the  highroad  leading  into  the  centre  of  the  island. 

On  every  hand  the  vegetation  peculiar  to  the* 
tropics  greeted  their  eyes.  The  huge  cottonwood, 
the  graceful  cocoa  palm,  with  its  crown  of  spread 
ing  fronds,  the  kingly  mahogany,  the  crooked  fustic, 
the  straight  and  slender  lancewrood  and  dwarfed 
ebony,  with  occasional  enclosures  of  bananas,  plan 
tains,  oranges,  pineapples  and  other  fruits,  refreshed 
their  eyes,  wearied  of  their  camp  upon  a  barren 
sandspit,  and  shocked  with  the  constant  prospect  of 
scenes  of  suffering  and  death. 

Suddenly  their  guide  turned  into  a  narrow  path, 
leading  up  a  ravine  between  two  spurs  of  the  lower 
ranges  of  the  Blue  Mountains,  and  after  following 
the  winding  trail  a  mile  or  more  bade  his  com 
panions  refresh  themselves  and  await  his  coming, 
striking  off  on  a  cross  path  by  which  scarcely  half  an 
hour  later  a  boy,  laden  with  fruits,  came  in  search 
of  the  party,  laying  at  their  feet  a  small  bunch  of  red 
bananas,  another  of  yellow  plantains,  several  pine 
apples,  sappodillas,  custard  apples  and  other  fruits, 

Of  these  they  ate  leisurely,  lying  on  the  close  green 
sward  of  a  natural  plateau,  near  the  top  of  a  range 
nearly  a  thousand  feet  above  the  town  and  harbor, 
into  which  last  it  almost  seemed  that  one  might 
cast  a  stone,  so  clear  was  the  air  and  so  rapid  the 
grade  of  ascent  as  they  went  inland. 


Cartagena 


"I  wish  our  poor  fellows  migW  camp  here  until 
the  fleet  comes,"  said  Captain  Stewart,  sadly.  "We 
are  losing  men  nearly  every  day,  whose  lives  are 
thrown  away  by  the  stupid  officials  yonder.  No 
fever  is  found  up  here,  and  yonder  you  can  see  where 
the  semaphore  stands,  not  two  hundred  yards  from 
where  the  port-admiral  lives  in  perfect  safety,  while 
men  are  dying  like  rotten  sheep  in  that  fleet  of 
transports." 

"It  is  a  pity  that  so  many  should  die  within  a 
day's  march  of  safety,  for  they  tell  me  that  fever 
is  unknown  up  here." 

"  ?Tis  so,  doubtless;  and  what  is  worse  is,  that  this 
matter  of  moving  troops  disembarking  here  inland, 
has  again  and  again  been  urged  upon  the  govern 
ment,  on  every  possible  ground  of  argument  that 
could  be  used.  Any  one  can  see,  that  even  those  who 
are  not  actually  down  with  fever  are  growing  thin, 
haggard  and  unfit  for  duty,  and  of  what  avail  is  it 
to  embark  on  the  most  trying  service  imaginable, 
skeleton  companies  of  weak  and  inefficient  soldiers?" 

"Well,"  said  Stephen,  bitterly,  "let  us  pray  for  the 
coming  of  the  fleet,  and  perhaps  it  may  get  in  before 
our  journey  is  ended.  But  truly  my  heart  bleeds  to 
see  poor  fellows  buried  out  yonder  on  the  palisades 
to  be  eaten  by  the  land  crabs,  who  have  done  our 
colony  good  service  in  the  Maine  garrisons  and 
against  the  Spaniards." 

As  he  spoke  their  guide  returned,  leading  three 
small,  but  sleek  mules,  saddled  and  bridled,  and  ad 
dressed  Untequit  in  a  tongue  which,  while  neither 
English  nor  Spanish,  seemed  not  unfamiliar  to  Ste- 


Caneotus  115 


phen,  although  he  could  not  readily  remember  where 
he  had  heard  it  before. 

"He  says  that  we  have  yet  ten  miles  to  go,  and  that 
the  way  is  steep  and  rocky  much  of  the  way,  but 
that  these  beasts  are  sure-footed  and  used  to  the 
road.  If  you  are  rested,  captain,  we  must  hasten  on, 
or  we  may  be  too  late." 

Mounting  the  animals,  the  party  in  single  file  rode 
up  hill  and  down  dale,  winding  among  rocks  and 
tangled  copses,  climbing  up  ledges  of  disintegrated 
rock  where  a  single  misstep  would  prove  fatal,  and 
descending  others  where  the  riders  were  fain  to 
bend  backward  until  nearly  prone  along  the  ani 
mal's  backbone,  to  avoid  pitching  head  first  over  the 
ears  of  their  sure-footed  beasts.  The  night  came  on, 
and  their  guide,  lighting  a  torch,  led  the  way  for  a  * 
short  distance,  until  a  mountain  stream,  whose  fall 
over  a  ledge  had  been  audible  for  some  time,  seemed 
close  beside  them;  and  as  they  came  out  upon  the 
plateau  beside  it,  the  guide  gave  a  sharp  whistle  and 
the  mules  came  suddenly  to  a  halt. 

Before  them  lay  a  narrow  valley;  above  them  a 
steep  ravine  extended  up  to  the  higher  mountain 
ridge; through  it  flowed  a  brawling  stream  to  plunge 
a  good  three  score  feet  into  the  chasm  below,  and 
around  them  a  score  of  men,  half  naked  and  armed 
to  the  teeth,  stood  watching  their  every  movement ; 
while  as  many  women,  catching  up  the  brands  of 
their  bivouac  fires,  came  to  light  up  a  scene  which 
to  even  Stephen's  nerves  and  Stewart's  confidence 
was  sufficiently  trying. 

It  needed   no   second  glance  to   tell   who  these 


11G  Cartagena 


rovers  were,  for  the  gay  toque  or  brilliant  kerchief 
turban,  their  dress  of  light  calico  and  leggins  of  hide 
and  slave  cloth,  their  rusty  Spanish  fowling  pieces, 
blunderbusses  and  knives,  long  curved  powder 
horns,  and  moccasins  of  untanned  hide,  proclaimed 
them  at  once  to  be  of  the  untamed  blood  of  the  Ma 
roons,  even  then  half  at  peace  with  and  half -out 
lawed  by  the  Jamaican  government. 

They,  however,  made  no  hostile  movement,  but,  at 
a  signal  from  their  guide,  took  charge  of  the  animals, 
and  led  the  new  comers  to  the  side  of  one  of  the 
fires,  where  bundles  of  freshly  cut  aromatic  herbs 
and  grasses  were  spread  for  their  reception,  and 
after  some  little  delay  a  simple  repast  of  cassava 
bread,  game  and  fruits,  with  bowls  of  milk,  and  a 
flask  of  the  fiery  spirit  of  the  colony  was  offered 
them,  to  which  Captain  Stewart  and  Stephen  did 
full  justice;  but  Untequit,  in  the  midst  of  the  repast, 
slipped  away  unseen,  accompanied  by  the  guide,  who 
shortly  returned,  and  in  fair  enough  English  asked 
them  to  accompany  him. 

"Untequit  asks  for  the  captain  and  his  white 
brother,  and  the  sick  man  wishes  to  see  his  physi 
cian." 

Taking  his  pocket-case  Stewart  arose,  and  accom 
panied  by  Stephen  followed  their  guide  to  the  sido 
of  the  ravine,  and  saw  that  a  gigantic  wall  of  rock 
rose  almost  perpendicularly  above  their  heads  to  a 
height,  of  which  the  darkness  precluded  an  estimate, 
but  which  was  evidently  immense.  By  the  light  of 
a  brand  carried  by  their  leader  they  ascended  a  nar 
row  path  which  wound  suddenly  around  a  project- 


Caneotus  117 


ing  spur,  on  turning  which  they  found  themselves 
at  the  entrance  of  a  cave  into  which  they  entered. 
They  were  left  standing  in  the  presence  of  an  aged 
man,  reclining  on  a  kind  of  dais  of  skins  and  rugs, 
supported  on  either  hand  by  rude  pillows,  and  at 
tended  by  women  who  fanned  him  assiduously,  and 
seemed  expectant  of  his  slightest  wish. 

But  one  man,  beside  their  guide  and  Untequit,  oc 
cupied  this  presence  chamber,  on  whose  walls  were 
hung  more  weapons  than  would  have  armed  the 
whole  number  of  men  already  met  with.  There  were 
muskets,  rifles  and  fowling  pieces,  of  many  degrees 
of  excellence  and  variety  of  origin,  heavy  Spanish 
machetes,  trenchant  cane-knives,  stout  broad-bladed 
pikes  and  boar  spears,  and  even  a  long  ponderous 
wooden  tube,  in  which  Captain  Stewart  recognized 
the  fatal  blow-pipe  or  gravatana  of  the  Indians  of 
Guiana.  A  long  bow,  with  a  quiver  of  steel-headed 
arrows,  clumsy  blunderbusses  and  heavy  pistols 
were  also  a  part  of  the  ill-assorted  display  of  lethal 
weapons. 

Even  the  sick  man  was  armed;  a  keen  dagger  and 
a  brace  of  handsome  pistols  lay  within  reach  of  his 
nerveless  hands,  a  long  rifle  leaned  against  the  rocky 
wall  close  at  hand:  and  as  the  visitors  came  forward, 
the  failing  eyes  seemed  to  regain  something  of  the  fire 
of  former  years,  and  the  attenuated  form  sought  to 
attain  and  assert  the  dignity  of  conceded  leadership. 

"It  is  the  first  time  for  two-score  years,"  he  feebly 
faltered,  "that  a  white  man  has  heard  words  of 
peace  from  the  lips  of  Caneotus." 

"Caneotus,"  exclaimed  both  in  one  breath,  "are 
you  Caneotus?" 


118  Cartagena 


"Caneotus  I  was  called  many,  many  years  since, 
after  one  who  was  a  dear  friend  of  Philip  of  Pok- 
anoket.  There  are  three  of  the  name  now,  and  each 
has  made  it  a  terror  to  the  white  destroyers  of  all 
whom  the  Great  Spirit  has  not  pleased  to  make  of 
their  race.  I  had  sworn  never  to  spare  a  white 
man's  life,  but  my  hands  are  feeble  as  an  infant's, 
and  you  are  from  the  land  of  my  youth  and  the 
friends  of  my  grandson." 

"Your  grandson?"  said  Stephen  wonderingly. 

"Untequit  is  the  grandchild  of  Caneotus,"  said  the 
volunteer  proudly,  "and  if  the  captain  can  heal  him, 
the  outlaw  of  the  Yallah  and  the  Blue  Hills  shall 
return  to  his  kindred,  for  all  are  dead  who  sought 
to  do  him  harm." 

Captain  Stewart  unfastened  his  belt,  first  laying 
aside  his  pistols,  and  stepped  to  the  side  of  the  aged 
outlaw,  for  he  saw  that  he  was  in  sore  extremity,  if 
not  in  the  very  article  of  death,  and  as  he  noted  the 
thin  and  hollow  temples  and  snow-white  hair,  the 
face  seamed  with  scars  and  corrugated  with 
wrinkles,  he  shook  his  head  ominously,  and  pouring 
out  a  cordial  held  it  to  the  lips  of  Caneotus,  who  had 
fallen  into  a  sleep,  half  doze — half  stupor.  The  stim 
ulant  acted  promptly,  the  dim  eyes  opened  and 
gathered  something  of  the  old  fire  and  energy,  a 
slight  fever  flush  glowed  on  brow  and  cheek,  and 
the  thin  voice  seemed  to  gather  strength,  as  the  vet 
eran  again  strove  with  mortal  weakness,  to  main 
tain  his  ancient  bearing  in  the  presence  of  one  of  a 
hatred  race. 

"Why  does  a  white  man  wait  before  Caneotus," 


Caneotus  119 


he  asked  angrily,  "take  him  away  and  slay;  but  no, 
he  is  a  friend,  touch  him  not;  he  comes  to  heal,  to 
strengthen  the  tree  rent  by  the  storms  of  an  hun 
dred  winters." 

"An  hundred  years  old,"  repeated  Stewart  in 
quiringly.  "Can  it  be  that  your  grandsire  has  out 
lived  a  century?" 

"I  have  little  doubt  that  it  is  so,"  said  Untequit 
respectfully.  "Old  Molly  Pognet,  whom  he  left  a 
young  girl,  is  nearly  an  hundred,  and  he  must  be 
some  years  older." 

"And  how  is  it  that  he  is  here?"  asked  the  captain 
in  a  low  tone. 

But  Caneotus  had  heard  the  question,  and  as  he 
answered  it  the  false  strength  of  passion,  and  the 
hatreds  of  a  wronged  and  blasted  life,  kept  the  at 
tenuated  frame  erect  and  gave  dignity  to  the  wasted 
face,  and  strength  to  his  voice  until  it  rang  out  like 
a  clarion  through  the  rocky  cavern,  and  up  the  clefts 
of  the  sharply  defined  cliffs  forming  the  crest  of  the 
mountain  range. 

"Why  is  Caneotus  here,  far  from  the  forests  of 
Mashpee,  and  the  bright  swift  tides  of  Cohasset? 
Why  are  the  bones  of  his  fathers  torn  up  by  the 
plow-share,  and  the  ashes  of  the  fire  of  council  scat 
tered  over  the  white  man's  cornfields?  Why  does 
the  Indian  live  poor  and  despised  where  his  fathers 
roved  free  and  happy;  and  why  is  the  daughter 
of  a  great  chief  almost  a  beggar  in  the  land  of  her 
fathers?  Listen,  captain  of  an  hundred,  to  the  words 
of  Caneotus,  for  he  is  very  old,  and  hearken  to  the 
story  of  a  wrong,  done  so  long  ago,  that  the  child 


120  Cartagena 


then  unborn  has  been  laid  in  the  grave  by  his  chil 
dren's  children. 

"Caneotus  was  once  young,  and  in  all  the  tribe  of 
lyanough  none  could  equal  him  in  war  or  hunting; 
he  was  the  friend  and  ally  of  the  whites,  and  more 
than  once  he  has  guided  their  musketeers  through 
the  forests,  into  the  hunting  grounds  of  the  Pequots, 
and  the  Narraganset  lands.  But  he  was  the  friend 
of  King  Philip,  and  inherited  the  broad  lands  by  the 
southern  sea,  and  the  white  rulers  feared  the  hand 
that  had  struck  the  war-post  for  them,  and  their 
people  looked  with  ravenous  eyes  upon  his  hunting 
grounds  and  broad  meadows;  for  he  would  not  sell 
his  heritage  for  fire-water,  or  the  graves  of  his 
fathers  for  a  woman's  toys. 

"So  he  who  had  never  taken  a  nail  that  was 
not  his  own  was  charged  with  robbery  of  many  goods, 
and  a  chief  taught  to  ask  admittance  to  a  summer 
lodge,  was  brought  before  the  council  for  breaking 
into  a  white  man's  dwelling.  Two  more  were 
charged  with  the  crime,  and  all  were  condemned, 
for  we  had  no  counsel,  and  the  people  laughed  at  our 
words  when  we  said  that  we  did  not  know  how  the 
goods  came  to  be  hidden  near  our  lodges;  for  among 
the  whites  they  believe  that  the  Great  Spirit  only 
punishes  the  liar  who  calls  upon  him  to  bear  witness 
to  his,  words. 

"The  punishment  was  death,  but  they  would  not 
have  our  blood  on  their  hands,  and  we  were  sent 
here,  away  from  home  and  friends,  to  be  sold  as 
slaves.  One  died  of  a  broken  heart  and  was  thrown 
to  the  sharks,  the  other,  sold  to  a  planter,  was  taken 


Caneotus  121 


away  by  the  first  fever  of  the  lower  lands,  but  Caneo 
tus  was  taken  to  a  farm  in  the  hills  and  set  to  tend 
ing  cows  and  the  milking  of  goats. 

"All  weapons  were  kept  away  from  him  but  a 
knife;  but  he  who  has  a  knife  has  all,  and  Caneotus 
bore  patiently  with  his  captivity,  until  he  had  all 
that  a  w^arrior  of  the  Massachusetts  could  need  for 
war  or  hunting.  A  bow  and  quiver  of  arrows  headed 
with  sharks'  teeth  and  spines  of  the  stingray,  a  lance 
headed  with  a  rusted  file,  and  a  knife  ground  down 
by  days  of  labor  to  edge  and  point  hung  in  a  cleft  of 
the  rocks  ready  for  the  day  of  freedom ;  and  the  Ma 
roons,  hunting  through  the  forests,  came  to  me  and 
told  me  of  their  freedom,  and  promised  that  I  should 
lead  their  band,  if  I  would  leave  my  white  master. 

"But  he  was  old  and  poor  and  feeble,  nor  did  he 
strike  or  threaten,  but  was  ever  kind  and  gentle,  and 
he  died  in  my  arms,  thanking  me  for  good  service 
and  faithful  nursing  in  his  need.  But  the  heir,  who 
had  left  him  to  die  alone,  came  for  his  heritage 
armed  with  pistol  and  cutlass,  and  with  cowhide  in 
hand  ordered  me  to  gather  in  the  cattle  and  bo 
ready  to  go  writh  him  to  the  fever  swamp  below ;  and 
when  I  spoke  of  my  master's  promise  that  I  should 
go  back  to  the  Massachusetts  a  free  man,  he  laughed 
scornfully  and,  with  a  blow  across  the  face,  sent  me 
to  my  work. 

"I  felled  him  to  the  earth  and  fled  to  the  forest, 
but  he  rose  and  followed  after,  and  as  I  reached 
my  weapons  was  close  upon  me.  He  fired,  and 
missed  me,  but  I  sent  an  arrow  to  his  heart  and  since 
that  day  have  been  an  outlaw.  I  have  never  known 


122  Cartagena 


want  or  fear;  I  have  had  children  born  to  me,  who 
bear  my  name  and  wrill  lead  my  people  when  I  am 
gone,  and  I  have  spoiled  the  oppressor  and  plund 
ered  and  slain  the  dealers  in  human  flesh. 

"But  I  would  go  back  to  my  own  land,  and  die 
amid  the  scenes  of  my  childhood  and  lie  amid  the 
graves  of  the  chiefs  of  my  father's  house,  although 
there,  only  poverty  and  degradation  are  the  lot  of 
the  sons  of  lyanough." 

"Then  drink  of  this  draught,  and  sleep  until  morn 
ing,"  said  Stewart  in  mild,  calm  tones,  "and  we  will 
see  what  can  be  done  to  restore  you  to  your  home." 
The  potion  was  taken  without  hesitation,  and  al 
most  as  he  sank  upon  his  pillow,  the  dreaded  outlaw 
of  the  Blue  Range  was  buried  in  a  profound  sleep. 

As  they  went  out  into  the  night  and  descended  the 
winding  path  to  the  ravine  below,  Stewart  halted 
and  motioned  to  his  companion  to  survey  the  scene 
before  him,  for  the  whole  ravine  was  now  ablaze 
writh  the  fires  of  the  Maroons,  fifty  at  least  of  whom 
stood,  torch  in  hand,  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff. 

Their  gay  turbans  and  barbaric  ornaments,  the 
bright  steel  of  their  machetes  and  cane  knives,  their 
fierce  and  swarthy  faces,  and  bright  hued  cotton  dress, 
and  the  utter  silence  and  statuesque  pose  of  the 
members  of  the  band,  formed  of  themselves  a  scene 
not  easily  to  be  forgotten.  But  in  the  background 
beyond  their  bivouac  fires,  where  the  women  went 
backwards  and  forwards  writh  fruit  and  curious  ves 
sels  of  honey,  milk  and  water,  or  sheaves  of  coarse 
grass  and  aromatic  herbs  for  the  couches  of  their 
guests,  the  ravine  rapidly  narrowed,  and  the  brawl* 


Caneotus  123 


ing  stream,  almost  lost  in  the  shadows  of  broad- 
leaved  water  plants  and  lofty  tropical  trees,  here  and 
there  flashed  down  a  score  of  feet  in  a  shimmering 
cascade,  or  flowed  down  and  through  a  dense  cur 
tain  of  mountain  moss  and  tangled  lianas.  Above 
them  all  the  midnight  sky,  clear  and  cloudless,  dis 
played  that  glory  of  the  host  of  heaven  which,  in  all 
tropical  climes,  has  so  enchained  the  fancy  and  the 
longings  of  the  hearts  of  men,  that  they  have  often 
forgotten  the  Creator  in  their  worship  of  his  mar 
vellous  universe. 

"How  beautiful !"  exclaimed  the  physician,  in  that 
low  yet  intense  tone  which  is  most  indicative  of  deep 
feeling  or  appreciation.  "  'Tis  wonderful,  how  little 
we  of  the  icy  north  and  the  thronged  cities  know  of 
this  beautiful  wrorld  He  has  made,  or  the  wonders  of 
His  greater  kingdom." 

"  'Tis  so  indeed,  sir,"  answered  Stephen ;  "and  yet, 
I  often  think  that,  perhaps,  we  who  are  rovers  by 
sea  or  land  think  more  upon  these  things,  than  you 
wrho  know  more  of  books  and  try  to  study  more 
deeply  into  the  causes  of  all  that  is  strange  or  won 
derful.  There's  a  German  doctor  dowrn  yonder,  who 
sails  in  Lord  Vernon's  fleet.  He  knows  every  bird 
and  plant  and  insect  which  the  men  bring  him,  but 
he  cares  nothing  for  their  beauty;  and,  would  you 
believe  it,"  and  here  the  volunteer's  voice  sank  to  an 
almost  inaudible  whisper,  "he  says  there  is  no  God." 

"Indeed!"  said  Stewart.  "There  are  many  like 
him  among  his  people;  but  such  belief  seems  almost 
impossible  in  one  who  stands  in  the  presence  of  a 
scene  like  this.  Do  you  know,  it  almost  seems  to 


124  Cartagena 


me  that  David  must  have  stood  near  some  midnight 
bivouac  amid  the  mountains,  when  he  looked  upon 
the  stars  and  poured  forth  that  famous  apostrophe 
to  the  heavens:  'When  I  behold  the  works  of  Thy 
hands,  the  moon  and  the  stars  which  Thou  hast  or 
dained:  what  is  man  that  Thou  art  mindful  of  him? 
or  the  son  of  man  that  Thou  visitest  him?'  " 

As  he  recited  the  inspired  words  of  the  warrior- 
poet  of  Israel,  the  enthusiast  poured  forth  the  words 
with  such  fervor  and  richness  of  intonation,  that  his 
voice  filled  the  whole  ravine  as  he  stood  in  sight  of 
'the  waiting  Maroons  drawn  up  to  do  him  honor;  and 
as  if  by  magic  the  whole  band  fell  upon  their  knees 
and  bowed  their  faces  to  the  earth,  nor  did  they 
again  raise  them  until  the  whites,  accompanied  by 
Untequit  and  his  newly  found  relatives,  had 
reached  the  foot  of  the  cliff  and  stood  beside  them. 
Then  they  arose,  and  at  a  signal  from  one  of  their 
leaders,  passed  out  of  the  ravine  and  disappeared 
from  view  with  the  exception  of  a  kind  of  reserve,  or 
picket  guard,  who  posted  themselves  at  the  entrance 
of  the  ravine,  on  a  small  platform  of  rocky  and  open 
ground. 

No  question  was  asked  until  a  second  repast,  more 
varied  than  the  first,  was  set  before  them,  and 
bundles  of  country-made  cigars,  and  long-stemmed 
earthen  pipes  were  offered  for  their  gratification; 
but  at  last  the  elder  son  of  the  sick  man  removed  the 
long  cane  pipe-stem  from  his  lips,  and  spoke  the 
thought  that  had  for  some  moments  troubled  him. 

"What  has  the  god  of  the  white  magician  said  of 
the  life  of  Caneotus?" 


Caneotus  125 


There  was  an  uncertain  ring  in  the  outlaw's  tones, 
as  if  he  was  in  doubt  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  cap 
tain's  unwonted  fit  of  enthusiasm,  but  Stewart  was 
as  shrewd  at  need,  as  he  was  brave  and  fearless,  and 
had  heard  something  of  the  savage  and  super 
stitious  nature  of  the  lawless  men  in  whose  power 
he  had  placed  himself;  while  Untequit,  no  less 
watchful,  made  an  almost  imperceptible  movement, 
which  had  been  agreed  upon  as  a  signal  of  caution  in 
case  of  danger  or  treachery. 

Stewart  drew  from  his  breast  a  pocket  Bible  and 
held  it  up  to  the  fire.  "Does  my  brother  know  what 
book  this  is?"  he  asked  quietly. 

"It  is  the  fetish  of  the  white  priests  of  the  city  be 
low  us,"  said  the  chief,  gravely.  "What  has  that  to 
say  of  Caneotus?" 

"For  every  man  this  book  has  a  message,"  said 
Stewart,  solemnly,  "sent  by  the  maker  of  all  men 
to  his  children  alike,  wThether  they  be  crowded  in  the 
city,  or  rove  freely  and  without  care  in  the  wilder 
ness.  In  it  is  a  message  for  the  chief,  your  father." 

"I  will  hear  it,  for  he  sleeps,  but  he  shall  know  it 
when  he  awakens.  If  it  please  him  you  shall  have 
gold  and  pearls;  if  it  be  ill,  Caneotus  has  many  fol 
lowers,  and  knowrs  how  to  punish." 

"The  message  is  not  mine,"  said  Stewart,  without 
a  trace  of  trepidation  in  voice  or  manner,  "but  gold 
cannot  purchase  the  good  will  of  my  God  or  change 
His  decrees.  Listen  and  you  shall  hear  wrhat  he  says 
to  Caneotus,"  and  in  the  almost  fearful  silence  he 
read  as  follows: 

"The  days  of  a  man  are  threescore  years  and  ten, 


126  Cartagena 


and  if  by  reason  of  strength  they  be  fourscore  years, 
yet  is  their  strength,  labor  and  sorrow." 

The  savage  turned  to  Untequit,  and  as  they  con 
versed  the  latter  grew  more  and  more  earnest,  point 
ing  by  turns  to  his  comrades,  the  cavern  and  a  huge 
cottonwood  which  stood  in  the  light  of  the  fire.  The 
Maroon's  face  at  first  was  fierce  and  malign  in  its 
expression,  the  Indian's  sorrowful  in  the  extreme, 
but  both  at  last  became  calmer;  the  son  of  the  out 
law  at  last  arose,  and  extended  his  hand  to  the 
physician. 

"It  is  well.  You  have  spoken  truly.  Untequit  will 
hear  your  words,  and  bear  them  to  our  father  in  the 
morning,"  and  so  speaking  the  friends  saw  him 
shoulder  his  gun  and  stride  away  into  the  darkness, 
as  if  he  wished,  like  some  dying  animal,  to  be  alone 
in  his  agony. 

"What  did  your  uncle  say,  Untequit?"  asked  Ste 
phen  of  his  servant  as  soon  as  they  wrere  again  alone. 

"He  called  the  captain  a  treacherous  sorcerer,  and 
said  we  should  all  die  if  Caneotus  was  not  restored 
to  health,"  said  the  Indian  quietly. 

"How  did  you  appease  him?" 

"I  said  to  him  'See  yonder  great  tree.  Is  it  old, 
very  old?'  and  he  said,  'It  was  old  and  decaying 
when  I  was  a  boy/ 

"I  said,  'Is  it  firmly  rooted  and  solid  at  heart?'  and 
he  said  that  its  roots  were  strong,  but  that  he  could 
sleep  inside  its  trunk  when  the  rain  was  pouring; 
and  I  asked  if  anyone  could  make  it  young  and 
strong  again,  and  he  answered,  'No  one/ 

"Then   I   said,   'Caneotus   is   an   old   tree,   deep- 


Caneotus  127 


rooted  here,  but  weak  and  infirm;  for  many  years 
have  whitened  his  hair  and  decayed  the  strength  of 
his  youth.  It  would  kill  him  to  go  back  to  the  cold 
northern  land,  and  he  may  not  be  cured  of  the  weak 
ness  of  many  years  and  much  sorrow,  but  he  may 
yet  be  many  months  among  his  children  in  the 
shelter  of  the  mountains.' ' 

"You  have  said  well,  Untequit,"  said  Stewart,  ad 
miringly,  "for  my  skill  cannot  heal  the  decay  of 
years  or  stop  the  ravages  of  time.  Your  grandsire 
would  die  if  you  tried  to  remove  him  thence ;  he  may 
yet  live  some  months  and  perhaps  years  among  his 
kindred." 

In  the  morning  they  paid  a  last  visit  to  the  exile, 
who  awoke  apparently  refreshed  by  needed  repose, 
and  calmer  than  the  evening  before.  He  had  first 
sent  for  Untequit,  arid  when  Stephen  and  his  com 
panion  again  entered  the  cavern,  the  old  chief  had 
again  assumed  his  weapons  and  apparel  of  state, 
and  with  a  calm  and  even  pleasant  voice  bade  them 
welcome. 

"Untequit  has  told  me  what  the  skill  of  the  white 
physician  has  determined,  and  repeated  the  message 
of  the  great  book  given  by  his  God.  Caneotus  has 
often  heard  it  read  in  his  younger  days,  for  there 
came  among  his  people  just  men  who  loved  the  In 
dians,  and  read  it  to  them  in  their  own  tongue,  and, 
had  the  whites  kept  its  sayings,  many  would  not 
have  died  who  have  fallen  in  battle  and  perished  in 
great  torments. 

"But  Caneotus  knows  that  he  is  old  and  weak, 
and  he  could  no  longer  bear  a  long  journey  or  the 


128  Cartagena 


tossing  of  the  great  sea,  and  only  in  the  land  of 
spirits  beyond  the  setting  sun  can  he  hope  to  see  the 
bride  of  his  youth,  now  old  and  weak  like  himself. 
So  when  you  may  no  longer  tarry  with  us,  take  the 
thanks  and  gifts  of  Caneotus  and  his  message  of 
farewell  to  the  remnant  of  his  people." 

Stewart  took  from  his  case  a  small  flask,  and 
affixed  to  it  three  strands  of  a  tough  creeper  and  a 
tiny  measure  made  from  the  shell  of  a  gourd.  "The 
pure  air,  clear  water  and  delicate  food  of  your  hills 
are  better  than  any  medicines  of  mine,  Caneotus  j 
and  with  rest  and  a  quiet  mind,  your  life  will  last 
longer  than  in  anger,  revenge  and  vain  regrets.  God, 
wrho  knows  neither  white,  nor  red,  nor  black,  but 
only  just  or  unjust  men,  will  avenge  all  wrongs  in  His 
own  good  time  and  comfort  all  who  carry  their  sor 
rows  to  Him.  But  should  sudden  faintness  come  upon 
you,  let  him  you  trust  most  give  you  as  many  meas 
ures  of  this  cordial  as  there  are  strands  around  the 
neck  of  the  flask;  not  all  at  once,  but  the  second  only 
when  the  first  fails  to  bring  you  clear  sight  and  per 
fect  speech,  and  the  third  only  when  the  second  is  no 
longer  sufficient.  In  no  case  let  them  dare  to  give 
you  more,  for  then  no  power  on  earth  can  save  you 
from  certain  death." 

"It  is  well,"  said  the  exile.  "Untequit,  come  and 
hear  the  wrords  of  the  last  chief  of  Manomet,"  and  as 
he  spoke  the  soldier  knelt  at  his  feet  and  laid  there 
on  a  small  belt  of  ill-shapen  beads,  rudely  made  of 
the  shells  of  the  quahaug,  and  curiously  strung,  ap 
parently  without  pattern  or  design. 

"You  have  borne  the  wampum  and  proved  your- 


Caneotus  129 


self  of  my  blood,  and  you  have  given  to  Caneotus 
messages  from  those  he  has  never  hoped  to  hear 
from  again,  since  the  days  when  a  lie  sent  him  across 
the  sea,  to  a  strange  island  and  a  slave's  doom.  Now 
you  shall  be  my  son's  son,  and  lead  with  him  when 
his  father  is  old  like  myself  and  I  am  no  longer  with 
the  living." 

Untequit  took  the  belt  again  and  reversed  it  in  his 
hands.  "The  wampum  asks  for  an  answer,  O  my 
father,  and  an  old  woman  will  weep  for  the  boy  she 
nourished,  and  the  messenger  she  waits  for  in  vain. 
Besides,  a  brave  on  the  warpath  must  not  lie,  and 
we  must  be  in  the  camp  by  the  sea  before  the  setting 
sun." 

"It  is  well,  Untequit,"  said  the  exile,  calmly.  "Bear 
back  the  wampum,  and  tell  the  wife  of  my  youth 
that,  if  the  Master  of  Life  wills  it,  I  will  wait  for  her 
at  the  first  night  encampment  on  the  crowded  path 
way  of  souls.  Tell  her  that  I  have  never  forgotten 
our  betrothal  by  the  grave  in  the  forest,  and  let 
her  not  want  while  the  gold  I  give  you  can  buy  her. 
food  or  shelter." 

"White  men,"  he  continued,  "do  not  fear  to  receive 
from  my  people  the  gifts  of  Caneotus,  for  we  have 
little  need  of  gold,  and  you  are  the  first  who  have 
met  us  in  peace  for  many  years.  We  shall  never 
meet  again  under  the  sun ;  perhaps  in  the  land  of  the 
hereafter  we  shall  look  again  upon  each  other,  and 
see  that  we  are  indeed  the  sons  of  one  father." 

They  left  the  cavern,  leaving  Untequit  at  hia 
grandsire's  feet,  and  how  they  parted  none  else  ever 
knew,  but  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff  their  animals  stood 


130  Cartagena 


saddled,  and  all  the  band  crowded  around  them  to 
shake  hands  and  bid  them  "good  bye."  To  each  sad 
dle  was  slung  a  small  basket,  tightly  covered,  and  at 
Untequit's  hung  a  finely  ornamented  Spanish  musket 
and  a  curious  hunting  knife,  such  as  the  Albacete 
manufactories  of  Spain  have  for  generations  sent  out 
to  her  colonies  in  the  new  world. 

The  descent  was  easy  and  rapid  compared  with 
the  ascent,  and  by  mid-day  they  had  crossed  the 
Yallah,  and  reached  the  foot  hills,  and  the  skirts  of 
the  lowland  along  the  coast.  Suddenly  the  mules 
stopped  at  a  signal  from  their  driver,  and  from  the 
thickets  on  either  side  rose  the  son  and  grandson  of 
Caneotus  and  the  outlying  members  of  his  band. 

The  elder  man  greeted  them  warmly,  while  their 
guide  of  the  day  before  opened  the  baskets  beside 
them,  and  took  from  each  a  small  square  package  of 
rawhide,  wrapped  in  a  curious  scarf  of  woven  fibre 
as  red  as  blood. 

"For  this,"  said  the  elder,  "the  whites  will  risk  all 
dangers  and  commit  all  crimes,  and  in  the  years  to 
come,  the  men  of  the  red  blood  and  the  black  will  be 
come  so  many,  that  they  will  be  crowded  into  the 
sea  and  so  perish  forever.  But,  if  in  that  day  you 
or  yours  shall  be  here,  let  them  send  me  this  toque, 
or  wear  it,  and  I  will  burn  alive  with  fire  whoever 
shall  touch  a  hair  of  your  head." 

As  he  spoke  he  delivered  to  each  a  package  and  the 
accompanying  token,  and  an  instant  later  was  lost 
in  the  thick,  tropical  forest,  while  the  friends  follow 
ing  the  path  soon  struck  the  post-road,  and  saw  be« 
low7  them  the  white  walls  of  Port  Royal  and  the  fleet 


Caneotus  131 


of  Lord  Vernon,  which,  with  transport  and  storeship, 
still  awaited  the  coming  of  Sir  Chaloner  Ogle  and 
the  great  Armada. 

"We  need  not  speak  further  of  these  adventures/' 
said  Captain  Stewart,  "than  to  say  that  we  have 
camped  a  night  in  the  mountains,  and  had  our  fill  of 
fruit  and  clear  spring  water.  We  have  been  good 
comrades  to  each  other,  but  henceforth,  as  your  cap 
tain,  I  must  show  you  no  more  favor  than  is  due  to 
good  conduct  and  brave  men.  Perhaps,  should  God 
spare  us  to  return  to  the  Massachusetts,  we  may 
meet  as  friends  and  talk  over  our  strange  adventure 
in  the  recesses  of  the  Blue  Mountains." 

They  entered  the  encampment  as  the  sun  was 
setting,  and  Stewart,  at  the  request  of  the  others, 
took  the  musket  given  to  Untequit,  and  the  pack 
ages  of  native  gold  (for  such  they  indeed  were)  writh 
the  intention  of  sending  them  home  by  a  Captain 
Barker,  master  of  the  transport  Two  Brothers,  soon 
to  sail  for  Boston.  He  met  his  mate  at  the  landing 
the  next  morning  and  hailed  him  cheerily. 

"Good  morning,  Mr.  Atkins.  Where's  Barker? 
I've  a  little  business  for  him  to  attend  to,  and  some 
letters  to  send  by  you." 

"He'll  carry  no  more  letters  for  any  one,  poor  fel 
low,"  said  the  mate  wearily,  "and  although  I'm  will 
ing  enough,  it  seems  as  if  I  couldn't  bear  to  try  to 
do  aught.  We  were  eight  in  all  when  we  cast  anchor 
in  this  accursed  harbor,  and  now  but  three  of  us,  and 
what  niggers  I  can  pick  up,  must  take  the  old  hooker 
back  to  the  owners  and  poor  Barker's  widow." 

"It  is  indeed  a  deadly  port.    Would  to  God  that 


132  Cartagena 


the  fleet  would  come,  for  the  troops  are  sickening 
fast,  and  I  have  had  to  turn  surgeon  myself  to  help 
our  wearied  doctors." 

"Yes,  'tis  a  bad  port,  but  I  never  saw  the  fever 
so  bad  before  in  a  dozen  v.oyages,  and  what  is  worse 
our  colony  boys  are  so  despised  and  insulted  by  the 
regular  officers,  that  they've  lost  heart,  I  think,  and 
the  fever  takes  such  hold  that  they  can't  shake  it  off. 
Poor  Barker  was  struck  by  a  drunken  major,  and 
would  have  thrown  him  into  the  street,  but  he  had 
him  taken  by  a  file  of  men  and  ironed,  and  let  him 
go  at  the  pier,  after  cursing  him  to  his  heart's  con 
tent,  and  the  captain  never  got  over  it.  All  the 
time  he  was  sick  he  was  moanin'  over  the  disgrace, 
and  I  hear  that  our  poor  boys  in  the  regiment  fare 
even  worse." 

"Well,  well,  Atkins,  it's  bad  enough,  but  it  can't 
be  helped.  You'll  take  the  package  and  the  letters, 
won't  you,  for  I  don't  like  to  trust  them  to  the  pack- 
et-masters." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,  I'll  do  my  best,  though  between  fever, 
an'  Spanish  privateers  an'  the  perils  o'  the  seas,  'tis 
a  question  if  either  I  or  the  sloop  ever  reach  home 
agin." 

The  mate's  apprehensions  were  but  too  well 
founded,  and  although  a  crew  was  procured  and  he 
sailed  in  a  small  convoy  for  New  York,  the  little  fleet 
was  scattered  by  a  storm  off  Hatteras;  and  neither 
the  household  at  Ploughed  Neck  nor  the  family  of 
Captain  Stewart  ever  received  the  letters  or  the  gifts 
of  the  exiled  chief  of  Manomet,  the  outlaw  of  the  Ja 
maican  mountain  ridges,  Caneotus. 


Chapter    XL 

The   Arrival   of   the   Armada 

by  day  the  men  sickened  and  died  in  their 
encampments;  the  crews  of  the  transports  wasted 
away  more  than  decimated  by  the  fatal  fever,  until 
over  forty  mates  and  captains  had  perished  and  Phil- 
lips's  company  alone  had  lost  more  than  one-fourth 
of  its  whole  muster  roll,  including  Ensign  Christo 
pher  Goffe  and  Lieutenant  Vryling. 

For  some  reason,  however,  the  other  companies 
suffered  less  in  proportion,  and  good  Captain  Stewart 
won  the  praise  and  love  of  all  the  battalion  by  his 
skillful  treatment  and  generous  care  of  the  sick, 
from  whom  he  utterly  refused  to  receive  pay  of  any 
kind,  merely  saying,  "We  are  comrades,  sir,  and  you 
can  best  pay  me  by  helping  some  one  else  in  your 
turn,  should  God  put  it  in  your  way  to  do  so." 

But  worse  than  the  fatal  malaria  which  claimed 
its  victims  every  hour,  and  threatened  every  day  to 
become  irrepressible  in  its  ravages,  was  the  attitude 
of  insult  and  contempt  already  taken  by  the  officers 
of  LordVernon's  fleet  towards  the  hapless  colonists, 
whose  patriotism  had  urged  them  into  the  false  and 
trying  position  of  a  private  soldier. 

For  to  the  Englishman  of  to-day,  a  resident  of  a 
British  colony  is  never  a  British  citizen  in  the  sense 
which  pertains  to  the  humblest  native  of  English 
soil,  and  it  is  simply  wonderful  that  an  empire  whose 
originally  contracted  limits  cover  so  many  narrow 


134  Cartagena 


and  bitter  sectional  antipathies,  should  ever  have 
become  dominant  over  so  vast  a  territory,  and  so 
many  peoples;  who  in  their  turn  are  alike  scorned 
by  their  English  protectors,  and  ever  made  to  feel 
that  bitter  sense  of  insolent  contempt,  which  your 
true  Saxon  never  refrains  from  openly  showing  to  a 
supposed  inferior. 

For  the  Englishman  scorns  above  all  the  Irishman, 
next  the  Welshman,  and  to  a  less  extent  the  Scotch 
man,  who  in  their  turn  distrust  each  other  more  or 
less,  but  the  Englishman  most  of  all;  but  each  and 
every  native  of  the  British  Isles  looks  upon  a  colonist 
as  a  dependent  and  unhappy  being,  hopelessly  de 
prived  of  the  higher  privileges  of  the  British  citizen,  a 
source  of  heavy  outlay  to  the  British  Empire,  and  of 
questionable  benefit  to  that  "tight  little  island/'  to 
whose  greed  and  glory  so  many  vast  empires  are 
tributary. 

It  followed,  as  a  matter  of  course,  that  in  an  age 
so  brutal,  coarse  and  even  cruel  as  that  in  which  the 
events  we  chronicle  took  place,  the  free  and  tameless 
hunters,  sailors  and  yeomen,  who,  for  the  most  part, 
had  filled  up  the  quotas  of  the  American  colonies, 
found  themselves  from  the  first  in  a  position  con 
trary  to  all  the  experiences  of  their  former  life. 
Their  own  discipline,  though  strict  in  essentials,  was 
loose  in  detail,  and  better  calculated  to  develop 
marksmanship  and  individual  prowess  than  con 
certed  movement  in  the  open  field;  and  the  amphibi 
ous  character  of  their  pursuits  added  to  the  difficulty 
of  restricting  their  activity  to  the  stiff,  artificial  and 
mechanical  movements,  characteristic  of  the  disci- 


The  Arrival  of  the  Armada  135 

plined  marines  and  grenadiers  with  whom  they  were 
to  be  associated. 

Nevertheless  brigadier  Blakeney,  and  his  corps  of 
lieutenants,  strove  at  every  turn  to  reduce  their 
somewhat  erratic  recruits  to  the  mechanical  move 
ments  and  utter  subjection  of  the  soldier  of  the  regu 
lation  standard,  and  could  not  sufficiently  express 
their  contempt  of  soldiers,  who  shot  better  than  they 
could  wheel;  who  objected  to  polishing  the  barrels 
of  their  muskets  "because  it  spoilt  their  aim,"  and 
wTere  as  much  at  home  in  a  boat  with  sail,  oar, 
line,  net,  harpoon  or  cutlass  as  they  were  in  camp 
or  on  parade. 

Many  utterly  refused  to  clean  the  officers'  boots 
and  perform  similar  menial  offices,  and  the  guard 
houses  wrere  often  crowded  with  men  up  for  punish 
ment  for  breaches  of  martial  law,  until  at  last  some 
severe  examples  were  made,  and  the  authority  of  the 
officers  shown  to  be  absolute.  But  the  effect  on  the 
men,  whose  natural  training  had  utterly  unfitted 
them  for  such  service,  was  depressing  in  the  extreme, 
and  many  who  had  been  beaten  with  canes  by  their 
officers,  or  flogged  publicly,  unable  to  endure  their 
deep  sense  of  undeserved  disgrace,  fell  sick  and  died, 
or  were  devoured  by  sharks,  or  drowned  in  trying 
to  desert  by  swimming  on  board  vessels  bound  home 
ward.  Others  of  sterner  mould  bided  their  time  of 
vengeance,  and  Col.  Gooch,  early  during  his  stay  at 
Jamaica,  became  utterly  disgusted  with  the  dissen 
sions  arising  between  his  English  officers  and  the 
Colonial  gentlemen,  who  better  knew  the  temper  of 
their  men,  and  resented  with  more  or  less  spirit  the 
abuses  which  they  were  powerless  to  prevent. 


136  Cartagena 


But  when  the  Jamaican  government  marched  in 
under  armed  guards,  and  a  corps  of  slave-drivers,  the 
most  mutinous,  useless  and  refractory  slaves  of  the 
whole  island  to  the  number  of  some  two  thousand,  and 
parties  of  the  Americans  began  to  be  detailed  to  cut 
pickets  and  fascine  material  in  the  woods,  in  com 
pany  with  this  refuse  of  the  slave-pen  and  canefield, 
even  the  English  officers  murmured  at  the  terrible 
degradation,  only  to  be  imagined  by  those  who  have 
themselves  lived  where  men  are  held  in  bondage. 
But  there  was  no  help  for  it;  the  admiral  laughed  at 
complaint,  and  became  angry  at  petition,  while  the 
few  soldiers  in  garrison  at  Port  Koyal  added  by  their 
taunts  to  the  spirit  of  humiliation  and  disaffection 
already  but  too  rife. 

It  was  therefore  with  a  general  sense  of  relief  that 
the  Americans  learned  from  the  semaphores,  used 
to  telegraph  the  approach  of  vessels,  that  a  large 
fleet  was  off  the  coast  and  was  supposed  to  be  the 
long  expected  expedition. 

On  the  morning  of  the  9th  of  January  the  whole 
population  of  Spanishtown  and  Port  Royal,  and  the 
soldiers  and  sailors  already  at  the  harbor  of  rendez 
vous,  gathered  on  the  shores  of  the  bay  to  watch  the 
imposing  spectacle  of  the  entering  fleet. 

As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  the  ocean  was  cov 
ered  with  sails,  and  the  larger  ships  of  the  fleet,  in 
three  divisions,  came  on  before  the  sea  breeze,  their 
huge  hulls  surmounted  by  lofty  pyramids  of  canvas, 
and  the  emerald  seas  foaming  under  each  mas 
sive  cutwater,  while  from  their  open  ports  long  tiers 
of  black  cannon  told  of  the  care  with  which  the  Eng- 


The  Arrival  of  the  Armada  137 

lish  ministry  had  chosen  the  flower  of  her  famous 
navy  for  this  last  supreme  effort  against  the  Span 
iard. 

Behind  them,  flanked  by  frigates,  bomb  ketches, 
sloops  and  fire  ships,  came  nearly  eighty  transports 
and  hospital  ships,  and  from  every  friendly  island, 
passed  in  their  tedious  voyage,  had  gathered  such 
English  merchantmen  as  by  good  fortune  were  fa 
vored  with  the  sure  protection  of  the  great  expedi 
tion. 

And  now,  after  nearly  eleven  weeks  of  unwontedly 
tempestuous  weather,  in  which  the  fleet  was  for 
several  days  utterly  dispersed,  the  great  armada  had 
gradually  reassembled,  and,  writh  the  exception  of 
a  small  squadron  sent  two  days  before  to  observe  a 
French  fleet  of  equal  force,  all  the  war  ships  and 
most  of  the  transports  safely  entered  the  chief  port 
of  Jamaica. 

"They're  no  fools  at  shortenin'  sail,"  said  a  veteran 
privateersman  at  Stephen's  elbow,  as  he  stood  upon 
the  seawall  of  snow-white  limestone.  "Jest  see 
them  take  in  their  kites,"  and  as  he  spoke,  the  lead 
ing  division  let  go  their  lighter  sails  by  the  run,  and 
the  heavy  yards  wrere  alive  with  topmen,  who  se 
cured  the  canvas  as  if  by  magic,  and  with  equal 
celerity  lay  down  to  await  the  next  order  of  the 
admiral. 

"  'Tis  a  splendid  sight,"  said  Stephen  enthusias 
tically;  "and  they  come  in  good  time.  God  grant  we 
have  no  more  delays,  for  we  have  left  enough  of  the 
poor  fellows  yonder  to  the  landcrabs  of  the  pali 
sades,  wrho  had  far  better  been  killed  under  the 
walls  of  Cartagena." 


138  Cartagena 


"Thet's  so,  mate,"  said  the  stranger  gravely;  "but 
ther  won't  be  no  gret  of  a  hurry  to  get  to  sea  again, 
when  once  the  anchor  is  down.  Thet  fleet  hes  hed 
its  share  of  bad  weather,  an'  vender's  a  seventy  thet's 
got  a  jury  mainmast,  an'  thar's  plenty  of  light  spars 
missin'  among  the  transports  too." 

"We  ought  to  get  to  sea  again  in  three  days  at  the 
least,"  said  Stephen,  "and  it  seems  to  me  that  a  week 
would  be  a  fatal  delay,  if  the  men  on  board  suffer 
as  we  have  done." 

"Thar'll  be  plenty  of  food  for  the  landcrabs  yon 
der,"  replied  his  companion  coolly,  "an'  ef  we  sail 
in  less  than  two  wreeks,  I'll  lose  all  my  share  of  the 
gold  of  Cartagena.  But  there's  the  flagship  leading 
in,  and  they're  takin'  in  sail  now  in  earnest." 

The  huge  Russell,  carrying  the  blue  pennant  of 
Sir  Chaloner  Ogle,  was  now  fairly  within  the  en 
trance,  and  under  her  heavy  foresail  alone,  swept 
slowly  but  majestically  up  the  bay  to  her  anchorage 
beyond  the  fleet  of  Lord  Vernon,  saluting  as  she 
passed.  The  great  flagship  in  answer  opened  fire, 
which  was  taken  up  in  turn  by  the  other  vessels  of 
both  squadrons  and  the  forts  of  the  harbor,  while  the 
light  guns  of  the  transports,  privateers,  slavers  and 
even  more  questionable  small  craft  congregated  in 
the  port,  added  their  sharper  reports  to  the  heavy 
thunder  of  the  great  ordnance  of  the  fleet. 

All  day  long  the  excitement  continued,  and  when 
the  careful  tactics  of  the  heavier  ships  was  suc 
ceeded  by  the  loose  seamanship  of  the  transports, 
there  were  many  staved  bulwarks  and  broken 
spars  to  employ  the  carpenters  and  sparmakers  of 
the  port,  and  to  add  to  the  general  causes  of  delay. 


The  Arrival  of  the  Armada  139 

But  as  theTorbay  forged  in  beside  her  sister  ships 
at  the  anchorage,  the  seaman  pointed  to  her  ensign 
floating  at  half-mast  and  said,  "  'Tis  for  no  common 
man  thet  thet  flag  hangs  thar',  an'  as  fer  me  I'm 
positive  thet  we  shall  hev'  bad  news  by  the  first  boat 
thet  reaches  the  shore." 

"Don't  talk  so,  man,"  said  Stephen,  impatiently, 
"  'Tis  only  a  colonel  of  marines  or  perhaps  an  officer 
of  the  ship.  Hear  the  men  cheer  as  they  man  the 
yards.  Why  should  we  borrow  any  more  cause  of 
trouble  than  we  have  already?" 

But  boats  were  already  manned  and  wraiting  at 
the  gangways,  and  the  admiral's  barge  was  soon 
seen  to  push  from  the  side  of  the  Russell  and  seek 
the  flagship  of  Lord  Vernon.  There  was  the  usual 
ceremonial  of  reception,  the  regulation  salute,  the 
sound  of  martial  music  and  the  guard  of  honor,  but 
when  all  wras  over  the  new^s  spread  like  wild  fire, 
that  the  great  general  who  was  to  command  the  land 
forces  of  the  expedition,  Lord  George  Cathcart,  the 
veteran  of  more  than  one  successful  campaign  under 
and  against  the  great  leaders  of  continental  wars, 
was  dead  and  buried  in  the  ballast  of  the  Torbay. 
Owing  to  his  death  the  command  would  devolve 
on  Brigadier  General  Wentwrorth,  of  whom  little 
was  known  and  less  expected,  if  one  might  judge  by 
the  comments  made  by  military  and  naval  critics, 
even  amid  the  unexampled  rejoicings  which  filled 
the  towns  of  Kingston  and  Port  Royal  on  the  night 
of  the  safe  arrival  of  the  fleet. 

For  when  the  sun  went  down  bonfires  glared  on 
every  eminence;  every  window  was  ablaze  with 


140  Cartagena 


candles;  the  ports  of  the  warships  were  revealed  by 
tiers  of  battle  lanterns,  and  frem  every  yard  and 
truck  blue  lights  and  portfires  lit  up  the  glassy  sea 
and  the  deep  shadows  of  the  w7ood-fringed  haven. 
Every  mansion  was  open  to  the  officers  of  the  army 
and  navy;  the  ordinaries  were  full  to  overflowing, 
and  in  the  streets,  as  the  night  wore  away,  the  whole 
people,  white  and  black,  rich  and  poor,  male  and 
female,  naval  and  military,  seemed  to  have  given 
themselves  up  to  unbridled  license  and  shameless 
debauchery. 

It  was  nearly  midnight,  when  Stephen,  who  had 
been  sent  to  care  for  a  comrade  just  committed  to 
the  hospital,  set  out  on  his  return  to  camp ;  and  as  he 
emerged  from  the  guarded  gateway  and  found  him 
self  in  the  street,  he  saw  on  every  hand  that  reckless 
pursuit  of  unlicensed  pleasure,  which,  strangely 
enough,  is  most  noticeable  where  death  comes  most 
suddenly  and  unexpectedly. 

Through  the  open  windows  of  the  finest  residences 
lu?  saw  on  either  hand  the  tables  burdened  with 
choice  viands  and  varied  vintages,  and  around  them 
the  best  blood  of  England,  in  the  gorgeous  costumes 
of  that. age  of  personal  display,  engaged  in  the  aim 
less  and  unceasing  round  of  "healths  and  bumpers," 
which  left  few  in  possession  of  their  senses  at  the 
close  of  the  orgies.  From  others  came  the  sound  of 
sweet  music  and  the  rhythm  of  dancing  feet,  where 
the  pale,  dark-eyed  beauties  of  the  tropics  joined  in 
the  dreamy  waltz,  with  partners  rejoicing  in  their 
temporary  escape  from  narrow  quarters  and  the  un 
stable  footing  of  the  sea;  while  in  the  illuminated 


The  Arrival  of  the  Armada  141 

gardens  and  under  the  shadow  of  tropical  trees, 
glided  in  couples  those  who  chose  the  subtle  charm 
of  sweet  converse  and  fair  companionship,  in  the 
stillness  of  night,  under  the  strange  spell  of  the 
voiceless  stars. 

But  around  him  the  streets  were  thronged  with 
revellers,  the  soldiers  from  the  camps,  seamen  of 
many  nationalities,  the  burly  captains  of  colonial 
transports  and  English  merchantmen,  the  free  ne 
groes  of  the  town  and  their  companions  still  doomed 
to  bondage;  and  Stephen  caught  a  glimpse  of  one 
or  two,  who  from  their  dress,  springy  tread  and  wild 
bearing,  he  knew  must  be  of  the  blood  of  the 
Maroons,  and  he  thought  of  the  band  of  Caneotus 
himself. 

At  every  turn,  met  as  she  sought  or  issued  from 
the  taverns  and  low  resorts,  whence  issued  ruder 
music  and  more  boisterous  merriment,  or  beckoning 
from  street  and  window,  woman,  degraded,  fallen, 
but  enthralling  still,  brought  to  the  aid  of  brutal 
Bacchus  and  degraded  Terpsichore  her  wondrous 
charms  of  beauty,  spirit  and  fascination,  which  even 
coarseness,  vice  and  dissipation  fail  to  wholly  alien 
ate  from  the  daughters  of  Eve. 

Suddenly  there  issued  from  a  tavern  m?ar  by,  an 
officer  of  the  American  contingent;  a  young  Vir 
ginian  of  herculean  mould  and  graceful  proportions, 
notorious  throughout  the  battalion  for  his  wealth 
and  even  more  so  for  the  boldness  with  which,  even 
in  that  day  of  gaming  and  its  kindred  vices,  he  vied 
with  wealthier  if  less  powerful  revellers. 

He  was  evidently  in  complete  and  extreme  accord 


142  Cartagena 


with  the  general  spirit  of  rejoicing,  and  held  high 
in  air  a  slender  crystal  goblet  full  to  the  brim,  while 
on  his  arm  hung  one  who,  even  in  that  cesspool  of 
tropical  passion,  was  alike  notorious  for  her  beauty 
and  for  her  crimes.  His  uniform,  velvet  waistcoat 
and  cocked  hat  blazed  with  the  richest  lace;  at  his 
side  a  rapier,  with  velvet  scabbard  and  gilded  hilt, 
hung  in  a  belt  of  Cordovan  leather,  and  the  buckles 
on  his  shoes  and  the  rings  upon  his  large,  shapely 
hands  were  set  with  diamonds  of  the  purest  water. 

"Here's  to  all  loyal  hearts  and  gallant  men,"  he 
shouted  wildly.  "Here's  to  Lord  Vernon  and  his 
brave  tars,  and  Wentworth  and  his  grenadiers.  Fill 
your  glasses,  comrades,"  he  continued,  as  several 
officers  came  near,  and,  at  the  word,  his  valet  stepped 
forward  with  a  tray,  from  which  he  took  another 
beaker,  while  the  servant  courteously  offered  to 
serve  the  new  comers. 

"Long  live  war  and  love,"  he  cried  in  ecstacy. 
"Drink,  Cerise,  to  the  toast,  the  only  labor  worthy  of 
a  gentleman,  the  only  pleasure  which  even  the  gods 
cannot  despise.  Come,  comrades,  fill  your  glasses 
again.  Here's  to  the  loyal  Americans.  May  they  be 
first  in  the  field,,  as  they  have  been  first  at  the  rendez 
vous." 

One  or  two  drank  to  the  toast,  but  a  third  handed 
the  cup  back  untasted.  In  an  instant  the  American 
flung  off  the  arm  of  the  flower-crowned  Creole,  and 
confronted  the  stranger  who  had  refused  his  pledge. 

"Why  do  you  refuse  my  toast,  sir?"  he  cried,  an 
grily.  "How  dare  you  offer  such  an  insult,  and  to 
me?" 


The  Arrival  of  the  Armada  143 

The  answer  came  back  in  those  cold,  calm  tones, 
icily  sardonic  and  pitilessly  menacing,  which  at  once 
indicate  the  blasd  man  of  the  world,  who,  from  being 
preyed  upon,  has  learned  how  to  devour,  and  has  de 
voted  every  resource  of  mind  and  body  to  his  own 
advancement,  success  and  pleasure;  who  can  creep 
like  the  serpent  and  strike  as  fatally,  and  at  need  can 
put  on  the  tiger  and  crush  out  opposition  without 
pity  or  remorse. 

"I  dare,"  he  said  quietly.  "I  would  as  soon  drink 
writh  the  overseer  of  the  colony  negroes,  as  with  one 
of  the  officers  of  your  contingent.  You  are  to  per 
form  the  same  duties,  I  hear." 

The  blood  receded  for  a  moment  from  the  Ameri 
can's  face,  and  then  surged  into  his  temples  until 
his  face  was  crimson  with  pent-up  passion.  "Give  me 
a  glass,  Forbes,"  he  muttered,  and  the  next  moment 
the  contents  wrere  dashed  into  the  Englishman's  face. 

There  was  neither  anger  nor  annoyance  visible  in 
the  air  of  the  latter,  as  he  wiped  off  the  wine  with  a 
laced  kerchief,  and  turned  for  a  moment  to  one  of  his 
companions,  but  a  slight  compression  of  his  lip  and 
the  relentless  gleam  of  his  steel-blue  eyes  told  that 
he  intended  to  exact  complete  vengeance  for  the 
insult. 

"At  once,  if  you  please,"  said  he,  pointing,  to  the 
outskirts  of  the  city.  "There  is  plenty  of  space  on 
the  sands,  and  we  shall  have  light  enough  before 
yonder  bonfires  burn  out,  if  we  hasten." 

"As  you  please,  sir.  Forbes,  follow  me.  I  have 
no  second,  and  must  request  one  of  your  companions 
to  perform  that  office,"  and  with  a  word  and  a  smile 


144  Cartagena 


he  bade  adieu  to  his  companion,  and  walked  arm-in 
arm  with  one  of  the  strangers  down  to  the  sandy 
peninsula,  on  which  a  tar-barrel  or  two  still  gave 
ample  light  for  the  tragedy  about  to  be  enacted. 

Without  a  word,  each  threw  off  his  coat,  waist 
coat  and  belt,  and  the  seconds,  having  measured  the 
rapiers,  returned  them  to  their  owners,  and,  placing 
the  duellists  on  guard,  drew  their  swords  and  stood 
ready  to  strike  in  at  the  first  wound  given  or  re 
ceived. 

They  had  not  long  to  wait.  The  American,  though 
powerful  and  no  mean  master  of  his  weapon,  was  no 
match  for  the  Englishman,  who  met  his  fierce  attack 
with  almost  imperceptible  guards,  given  by  a  wrrist 
like  iron  and  muscles  like  steel ;  and  it  was  soon  ap 
parent  to  Stephen  that  he  was  only  biding  his  time 
to  make  a  thrust,  which  should  end  both  the  contest 
and  the  life  of  his  antagonist.  Slowly,  but  surely, 
he  drew  him  on  inch  by  inch,  until  at  last  his  foe 
wras  within  his  reach,  and  a  lightning-like  thrust 
transfixed  the  American  from  breast  to  back;  but 
despite  a  wound  almost  instantaneously  mortal,  the 
Virginian,  shortening  his  sword,  drove  it  through  the 
lung  of  his  triumphant  antagonist. 

The  seconds  rushed  in,  but  before  they  could  reach 
them  the  Virginian,  throwing  up  his  arms,  uttered  a 
stifled  sob  and  fell  back  into  the  arms  of  Stephen  and 
the  officer,  who  laid  him  gently  down  upon  the  sand, 
but,  at  the  first  glance  at  the  handsome  young  face, 
saw  that  he  was  dead. 

As  they  looked  up,  a  low  exclamation  of  horror 
came  instinctively  to  their  lips,  as  they  saw  the  victor 


The  Arrival  of  the  Armada  145 

still  erect,  but  transfixed  from  breast  to  back  by  the 
slender  rapier  of  his  antagonist;  his  face  fast  losing 
its  expression  of  confident  and  deadly  purpose  as  the 
reality  of  his  terrible  condition,  and  the  horrible  cost 
at  which  he  had  gained  his  hollow  triumph  dawned 
upon  him. 

"Killed  by  a  boy  at  last,"  he  muttered,  as  his 
friends  ran  to  his  support.  "Spitted  by  a  green  vol 
unteer  as  a  hawk  is  trussed  by  a  heron.  Vane,  you 
are  a  doctor.  Can  I — is  there  any  chance — I  can't 
speak.  Tell  me,  for  God's  sake." 

The  surgeon  cast  a  single  glance  at  the  protruding 
point  of  the  weapon,  and  turned  to  his  friend.  "The 
lung  is  transfixed  and  I  fear  that  nothing  can  be 
done.  If  we  can  get  you  to  the  city,  there  might  per 
haps  be  a  chance." 

"I  can't  bear  this  pain,"  moaned  the  wounded  man. 
"Take  out  this  cursed  blade,  for  I  suffer  infernal  tor 
ments.  Will  no  one  rid  me  of  that  fellow's  rapier?" 

The  surgeon's  answer  wras  quick  and  startling. 
"If  it  is  withdrawn  here  you  die.  If  you  have  any 
thing  to  say  or  write,  do  it  before  the  blade  is  with 
drawn." 

A  cold  sweat  stood  on  the  brow  of  the  duellist, 
but  in  that  supreme  moment,  the  conventional  spirit 
of  his  race  and  kind  failed  him  not.  "I  understand 
you,  Vane.  You  will  see — to  my  effects  here.  Send 
me  home  to  England.  One  of  the  Fortescues — can 
surely  lie — among  his  kindred.  You  will  see,  doctor 
— that  my  commands — : 

"We  understand  you,  Fortescue,"  said  Doctor 
Vane,  kindly.  "But  have  you  no  wish  for  a  lawyer, 


14G  Cartagena 


"Or  a  priest?  No,  no,  I  die  as  I  have  lived.  The 
estate  is  entailed — and  I  cannot  even  support — those 
whom  I  have  ruined.  It  grows  dark — I  am  dying, 
Vane — "  The  finely  chiselled  face  grew  strangely 
drawn  and  set ;  the  dark  eyes,  no  longer  full  of  con 
scious  power  and  pride,  were  fixed  and  glassy.  A 
mortal  shiver  shook  the  symmetrical  limbs,  and  with 
a  single  convulsiATe  heave  of  the  broad  chest,  the 
spirit  of  Captain  Fortescue  parted  from  all  in  which 
it  had  delighted  in  this  mortal  life. 

"He  is  gone,"  said  Stephen,  in  a  low  tone;  "and 
now  what  is  to  be  done  with  the  bodies  of  these  un 
fortunate  men?" 

"What  business  is  that  of  yours,  sirrah?'1  was  the 
rather  brusque  answer  of  the  third  stranger;  while 
Vane,  who  had  carefully  withdrawn  the  rapier  from 
the  wound,  turned  to  survey  the  bold  infantry 
soldier,  who  had  dared,  unasked,  even  at  such  a  mo 
ment,  to  question  an  English  officer. 

"I  am  a  volunteer  of  the  American  battalion," 
answered  Stephen,  sternly,  "and  was  therefore  com 
rade  to  the  man  who  lies  yonder,  slain,  as  I  hold,  by 
one  whose  provocation  was  ruffianly,  and  whose  in 
tention  in  this  affray  was  murderous.  He  has  only 
met  with  his  deserts ;  but  each  should  have  reverent 
care,  and  I  am  here  to  see  that  my  countryman's 
body  is  not  plundered  or  slighted,  until  word  is  sent 
to  our  camp  and  his  body  is  taken  in  charge." 

"  'Sdeath,  fellow!"  said  Fortescue's  second,  raising 
his  cane  and  advancing  angrily  toward  the  provin 
cial.  "How  dare  you  presume  to  speak  thus  to  an 
officer  in  His  Majesty  grenadiers?"  And,  with  a 


The  Arrival  of  the  Armada  147 

torrent  of  strange  oaths,  he  announced  his  intention 
of  at  once  inflicting  a  severe  chastisement  upon  our 
hero. 

Stephen  caught  up  the  Englishman's  weapon  and 
calmly  awaited  the  bully's  approach;  but  at  the  sig 
nificant  action  he  stopped  short,  and  changed  the 
method  though  not  his  air  of  menace. 

"Ha,  mutiny?  Damme,  my  fine  fellow,  but  I'll 
have  you  shot  or  hanged  for  this.  I'll  not  dirty  my 
hands  with  your  blood,  but  send  you  under  guard  to 
the  provost  marshal." 

"Peace!"  said  a  deep,  stern  voice;  and  at  the  word, 
the  officers,  turning,  saw  Gooch,  the  lieutenant- 
colonel  of  the  Americans,  and  a  near  friend  of  the 
hapless  Virginian.  Behind  him  stood  the  valet  of 
the  slain  officer,  and  several  files  of  men  with 
stretchers  were  in  attendance. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  he,  sternly,  "you  are  under  ar 
rest.  Take  their  swords,  Johnson,  but  show  them 
every  attention  at  our  quarters,  and  bear  the  dead 
into  camp,  reporting  to  Captain  Hopkins,  who  is 
officer  of  the  day.  He  will  see  that  the  bodies  are 
suitably  cared  for." 

"Sirrah!  why  are  you  here,  and  with  your  rapier 
drawn  on  an  officer?"  he  continued,  turning  to 
Stephen,  as  the  soldiers,  gently  raising  their  bur 
dens,  set  out  on  their  return  to  camp. 

"I  was  out  on  leave,  with  an  errand  to  the  hospital. 
I  saw  the  beginning  of  the  quarrel  between  Lieut. 
Lee  and  Capt.  Fortescue.  The  lieutenant  had  no 
second  except  one  of  Fortescue's  companions;  and 
as  it  lay  in  my  way,  I  stayed  to  see  fair  play  and  aid 


148  Cartagena 


any  who  might  be  hurt.  I  wished  to  know  what  was 
best  to  be  done  when  both  lay  dead  at  our  feet,  and 
yonder  bully  cursed  me  for  my  insolence,  and  threat 
ened  me  with  his  cane.  I  said  nothing,  but  picked  up 
Fortescue's  sword;  and — 

"There;  sir,  that  will  do;  I  must  hear  no  threats; 
and  you  may  deem  yourself  lucky  that  the  thing  has 
gone  no  farther.  Return  to  your  quarters.  Stay! 
give  me  you  name  and  company;  and  hand  your 
weapon  to  my  aid." 

Stephen  did  so,  and  saw  the  little  procession  move 
down  the  low  peninsula  in  the  fitful  light,  with  a 
heavy  heart;  for  the  dead  American,  although  per 
sonally  unknown  to  him,  had  by  his  splendid 
physique,  dashing  manner,  and  untiring  good  nature 
and  gay  spirits  become  one  of  the  most  popular  offi 
cers  in  the  battalion.  He  walked  slowly  along  by  the 
strand,  reviewing  the  events  of  the  night,  and  saw 
in  imagination  the  dead  man  again  in  the  bloom  of 
perfect  physical  health,  surrounded  by  gaiety  and 
pleasure,  flushed  with  the  hope  of  fame,  the  fire  of 
loyalty  and  the  consciousness  of  strength  and  cour 
age;  and  now  a  few  scornful  words  had  turned  mirth 
to  hate,  the  soft  spell  of  love  to  the  concentrated 
fury  of  mortal  conflict,  and  the  splendid  frame  and 
fair  face  were  now  no  more  than  so  much  carrion, 
which  ere  another  sun  should  set,  must  be  hidden 
from  the  shocked  senses  of  even  those  who  had  loved 
the  strong  spirit  which  it  had  enshrined  in  life. 

"So  runs  the  saying,"  he  said,  musingly,  as  he 
walked  along  the  midnight  beach  and  heard  the  sigh 
of  the  breaking  ripples  on  the  outer  coast.  "He  had 


The  Arrival  of  the  Armada  149 

wealth,  family,  strength,  beauty,  love,  knowledge 
and  a  kindly  heart,  but  an  hour  has  swept  them 
away,  and  the  pride  of  birth  and  rank  of  his  slayer 
has  but  hurried  him  also  to  the  inevitable  destiny 
of  us  all.  Truly,  our  time  is  a  very  shadow  that  pass- 
eth  away,  and  after  our  end  there  is  no  returning; 
for  it  is  fast  sealed  so  that  there  is  no  returning." 

And  as  he  entered  the  camp  the  blaze  of  the  battle 
lanterns  was  suddenly  extinguished;  in  the  distant 
towns  the  lighted  windows  grew  dim  and  died  out 
like  setting  stars;  the  bonfires  were  smouldering 
along  the  strand,  and  of  the  brilliant  displays  on 
shore  only  an  occasional  rocket  fitfully  lit  up  the 
midnight  sky,  or  fell  hissing  into  the  waters  of  the 
harbor,  now  dimly  seen  through  the  deadly  mists  of 
the  tropics;  but  afar  off  to  the  south  and  west,  a 
single  balefire,  red  and  lurid,  blazed  upon  the  crest 
of  the  mountains. 

As  he  reached  his  own  quarters,  a  few  of  his  com 
rades  stood  in  front  of  the  tent  watching  the  strange 
light. 

"  'Tis  some  loyal  planter  just  at  home  after  the 
day's  carousal,"  said  one. 

"No!  The  news  of  the  coming  of  the  fleet  has  just 
reached  some  farmer  who  never  gets  so  far  from 
home  as  Spanishtown,"  quoth  a  second. 

"It  is  more  likely  to  be  a  cottage  or  a  coffee  barn 
burnt  by  the  thieving  Maroons,"  observed  a  third, 
who  had  visited  the  place  in  previous  voyages.  "No 
one  can  keep  slaves  or  carry  on  a  plantation  so  far 
inland  as  that,  although  every  now  and  then  some 
one  tries  it  and  gets  murdered  for  his  pains." 


150  Cartagena 


Untequit  alone  was  silent,  and  greeting  his  friend, 
led  him  away  from  the  rest  to  the  harbor  side  of  the 
encampment,  and,  as  they  again  turned  toward  the 
mountains,  a  second  bonfire  blazed  in  the  southwest, 
apparently  a  mile  or  more  from  the  first.  Stephen 
uttered  an  exclamation  of  surprise,  but  Untequit 
laid  his  finger  on  his  lips,  and  intently  watched  the 
beacons,  as  they  paled  and  grew  bright  by  turns 
against  the  dark  mountain  ranges. 

Suddenly,  between  the  two,  a  bright  spark  ap 
peared,  and  grew  each  second  in  size  and  brilliancy, 
until  a  column  of  flame  sixty  feet  in  height  towered 
between  the  two  former,  and  even  at  that  distance 
the  limbs  and  trunk  of  a  huge  tree  seemed  to  writhe 
and  blacken  in  the  fervid  and  glowing  conflagration. 

"It  is  the  signal!"  said  Untequit  sadly,  "Caneotus 
is  dead,  and  I  have  only  his  last  words  to  carry  back 
to  Monamet." 

"How  know  you  this?"  asked  Stephen,  in  some 
surprise.  "Perhaps  yonder  fires  are  the  blaze  of  a 
planter's  building,  as  yonder  sailor  hinted." 

"No!  no!"  said  Untequit.  "Before  we  parted, 
his  son,  my  uncle  of  the  half-blood  said,  'Yonder 
ceiba-tree,  like  the  old  chief,  is  dying  of  age!  it  shall 
not  survive  him.  When  you  see  a  blaze  in  the  moun 
tains,  look  for  another  a  mile  to  the  west  and  then 
you  wrill  see  the  ceiba-tree  a  mass  of  fire,  for  I  will  fill 
it  with  reeds  and  cover  it  with' pitch  from  the  ground 
to  its  highest  branches.  Then  you  will  know  that 
Caneotus  is  dead,  and  that- 1  have  borne  him  to  his 
tomb  in  the  heart  of  the  mountains,  where  no  white 
man  comes,  and  no  hand  shall  ever  disturb  his  last 
resting  place.' " 


The  Arrival  of  the  Armada  151 

"I  am  sorry,  Untequit,  if  this  be  so,"  said  Stephen, 
gently,  "but  as  they  say  in  our  own  country, 'the  young 
may  die  but  the  old  must.'  It  is  almost  a  miracle 
that  he  lived  to  become  free,  and  attained  so  many 
years  beyond  the  ordinary  life  of  man,  and  it  is 
strangest  of  all  that  your  people  should  know  of  his 
existence,  hope  for  his  return,  and  send  you  on  so 
strange  an  errand,  in  the  hope  of  bringing  him  back 
to  his  own  land  again." 

Untequit  raised  his  face,  which  he  had  buried  in 
his  hands,  and  answered,  "You  whites  know  us  but 
poorly,  or  you  would  have  learned  that  we,  who  have 
no  books  and  but  little  knowledge  of  the  world,  re 
member  all  we  see  and  hear,  and  treasure  up  in  our 
hearts  the  traditions  of  the  old  men  handed  down 
from  generation  to  generation.  Many  a  man  among 
you  knows  not  how  it  is  that  he  is  avoided  by  the  In 
dians,  so  that  even  the  poorest  will  not  let  their  chil 
dren  live  under  his  roof.  But  it  is  because  the  lands 
he  holds  were  wrongly  taken  from  our  people,  per 
haps  by  ancestors  of  whom  he  knows  scarcely  the 
name;  and,  had  we  the  power,  many  wrongs  done 
long,  long  ago,  would  be  avenged  upon  the  living. 
The  Indian's  heart  is  a  deep  well  into  which  one  can 
not  look  farther  than  the  surface,  but  in  it  are  gath 
ered  many  and  deep  waters." 

"And  have  mine  ever  done  you  or  yours  wrong, 
Untequit?"  asked  Stephen  gravely. 

"Of  your  people  have  I  never  heard  aught  but  good," 
answered  the  Indian,  "but  he  of  whom  your  grand- 
sire  bought  his  land  was  of  the  blood  of  one,  who, 
though  not  a  warrior,  was  wily  as  a  fox  and  merci- 


152  Cartagena 


less  in  the  pursuit  of  gain.  You  have  found  arrow 
heads  of  stone,  and  the  scattered  ashes  of  our  camp- 
fires  in  the  east  pasture;  by  the  sweet  springs  and  in 
the  shelter  of  the  great  swamp.  Think  you  that  the 
Indians  willingly  left  their  ancient  encampment, 
beside  the  great  marsh,  and  the  creek  full  of  all 
kinds  of  fish?" 

"I  know  not,  Untequit,  but  sure  I  am  that  our  title 
is  good,  and  was  honestly  paid  for  in  bright  guineas 
and  sterling  silver." 

"No  one  can  question  it  now,  comrade,"  said  the 
Indian,  sadly,  "nor  would  it  bring  back  the  game  and 
fish,  nor  the  shade  of  the  forest  trees,  even  if  the 
land  were  restored  to  the  children  of  those  who  once 
dwelt  there.  The  Great  Spirit  knows  best,  and  it  is 
his  wrill,  that  his  red  children  should  no  longer  stand 
before  him  in  the  land  of  their  forefathers." 

"Hist,  Untequit,  a  boat  is  near  us.  Who  can  it 
be,  that  comes  into  our  lines  at  this  time  of  the 
night?" 

"Friends!"  said  his  companion,  quietly,  and  the 
next  moment  his  low  whistle  was  answered  from  the 
mists.  A  light  canoe  was  run  in  upon  the  beach,  and 
the  son  of  the  dead  outlaw  stepped  lightly  ashore 
and  stood  beside  them. 

"I  have  come  to  look  once  more  upon  your  face," 
he  said  in  the  Indian  tongue,  "and  to  ask  why  Unte 
quit,  who  is  the  son  of  chiefs,  and  may  have  warriors 
to  lead  and  broad  lands  to  hold  by  rifle  and  steel, 
is  willing  to  stay  among  the  hated  whites,  and 
ready  to  shed  his  blood  for  those  who  have  neither 
love  nor  pity  for  those  who  are  not  of  their  color." 


The  Arrival  of  the  Armada  153 

"Speak  English,  Caneotus,"  said  Untequit,  calmly, 
"Stephen  is  niy  friend  and  brother  and  just  although 
a  paleface." 

"Canoetus  is  dead,"  said  the  outlaw,  bitterly,  "and 
we  dare  stay  no  longer  so  near  the  dwellings  of  our 
foes.  Already  our  tribe  is  many  leagues  away 
among  the  hills.  But  I  knew  that  Untequit  was  left 
a  common  soldier  among  those  who  despise  his  race, 
and  who  every  day  degrade  their  own  warriors  with 
cruel  scourgings  and  strange  tortures,  and  so  I  come 
to  offer  him  one-half  of  his  grandsire's  riches  and  an 
equal  command  over  all  my  band." 

"It  is  impossible,  fellow,"  said  Stephen,  angrily. 
"You  are  among  our  sentinels,  and  risk  your  own 
life  and  liberty  every  moment  of  your  stay.  How 
dare  you  then  come  on  such  an  errand  among  the 
loyal  Americans?" 

The  outlaw  laughed  sardonically.  "The  nearest 
sentinel  is  at  yonder  point,  but  he  has  smoked  the 
leaves  of  the  wanga  with  his  tobacco,  and  though 
he  walks  his  beat  he  is  in  a  dream  from  which  he 
will  not  awaken  for  a  good  half  hour.  You  are  un 
armed,  and  I  could  pistol  you  and  escape,  long  before 
the  alarm  could  be  spread  far  enough  to  cut  me  off," 
and  he  significantly  took  a  pistol  from  his  belt  as  he 
spoke. 

"Put  up  your  weapon,"  said  Untequit  calmly.  "He 
will  not  injure  you  or  be  unjust  to  his  friend. 
Stephen!"  he  continued,  turning  to  the  colonist, 
"Why  should  I  not  go  to  those  who  love  me  and  be 
come  again  a  chief  and  a  leader  of  men.  Are  we 
not  dying  every  day  of  disease,  fed  with  repulsive 


154  Cartagena 


food  which  even  the  officers'  dogs  despise,  and  are 
not  those  over  us  growing  more  cruel  and  insolent 
every  day.  Has  the  king  kept  his  promises  to  us  as 
we  have  to  him?" 

"No,  Untequit,  no !  Yet  our  oath  is  sacred,  and  as 
for  me  I  should  be  disgraced  among  my  people  were 
I  to  break  it.  Yet  for  you  there  need  be  no  such 
feeling,  for  when  you  return  you  come  back  to  those 
who  have  little  of  that  honor,  which  among  us  is 
held  dearer  than  life  itself." 

"You  are  unjust,  Stephen,"  said  Untequit  sadly. 
"We  hold  ourselves  justified  in  breaking  promises 
made  from  a  sense  of  weakness  and  the  contempt  in 
which  our  race  is  held,  but  there  are  bonds  that  we 
never  break  and  promises  that  we  never  forget.  But 
you  see,  I  may  be  free,  rich  and  powerful;  an  out 
law,  but  still  a  chief ;  a  dweller  in  the  wilderness,  but 
above  want,  and  secure  in  the  strength  of  the  hills ; 
and  if  I  stay,  I  must  endure  our  common  miseries 
and  coining  perils,  and  go"  back  to  beggary,  or  at 
least  to  gain  a  pitiful  living  among  a  people  who 
scorn  the  race  they  have  wronged.  What  say  you, 
comrade,  shall  I  go  or  stay?" 

"I  will  not  choose,"  said  Hay,  much  affected,  "for 
on  the  decision  too  much  depends,  and  on  you,  at 
least,  the  claims  of  the  English  crown  and  people  are 
weak  indeed.  But  do  not  desert  to-night,  for  I  must 
know  nothing  of  it,  if  indeed  you  will  leave  me  and 
go  to  your  new  life  in  this  strange  land." 

"Your  words  are  wise,"  said  the  outlaw,  surprised 
at  the  turn  matters  had  taken,  "and  need  not  fear 
for  yourself.  It  will  be  many  days  ere  you  leave 


The    Arrival    of    the    Armada  155 

this  place,  aiid  Untequit  shall  come  to  his  people, 
aud  the  whites  never  know  how  he  went  from  among 
them." 

"It  cannot  be,"  said  the  Indian  resolutely.  "Bid 
me  farewell  and  return  to  your  people.  She  who 
sent  me  will  look  for  my  coining,  and  longs  for  the 
answer  of  Caneotus,  and  my  people  yonder  are  poor 
and  oppressed,  and  I  must  help  them  if  I  can.  Here, 
too,  is  my  comrade,  and  the  good  doctor.  I  have 
promised  them  to  be  true  and  to  stand  by  them  in 
war  and  sickness,  and  I  can  never  be  false  to  my 
word." 

"Then  farewell,  grandson  of  Caneotus.  Go  on  from 
miseries,  of  which  you  have  had  but  little,  to  the 
woes  you  must  endure.  Stay  under  the  insolent 
officers  who  whip  better  men  than  themselves; 
starve,  while  they  throw  away  dainties  which  might 
save  the  lives  of  their  soldiers;  and  thirst,  while  they 
know  nothing  of  fever  or  pain.  But  if  in  the 
future  you  flee  to  our  mountains,  come  freely;  for 
though  you  scorn  our  offers,  we  can  trust  your  word 
in  life  or  death. 

"Here  is  my  last  gift,  Untequit,"  he  continued  hur 
riedly,  for  afar  off  they  heard  the  challenge  of  the 
sentinels  as  the  guard  was  relieved,  and  he  took  from 
his  breast  a  small  packet  of  leaves  curiously  swathed 
in  stout  creepers.  "We  fear  not  the  fever  which  de 
stroys  your  people,  but,  although  you  have  escaped 
thus  far,  you  can  hardly  hope  if  you  stay  long  in  this 
spot.  This  is  a  poison,  deadly  and  almost  without 
remedy  to  the  well ;  but  when  the  fever  settles  upon 
you  and  the  brain  begins  to  reel,  then  take  so  much 


156  Cartagena 


as  you  can  lay  in  powder  upon  a  crown  piece  arid  boil 
it  until  the  water  is  red  as  blood.  Then  strain  and 
drink  it,  and  cover  yourself  with  blankets,  for  when 
the  sweat  runs  in  streams  from  your  limbs  the  fever 
will  be  over. 

"But  farewell,  white  man ;  farewell,  Untequit,-  for 
the  guard  draws  near  and  we  must  be  gone.77 

He  stepped  noiselessly  into  the  light  boat,  pushed 
silently  out  into  the  mists,  and  in  a  moment  was  lost 
from  view;  while  Stephen  and  his  friend,  crossing 
the  fog-veiled  parade  ground,  easily  escaped  obser 
vation  and  sought  in  their  tents  needed  repose,  after 
the  day  of  excitement  and  adventure  which  had  re 
sulted  from  the  arrival  of  the  fleet. 


Chapter    XII. 
The  Sailing  of  the  Fleet 

Two  days  later  the  vessels  sent  out  by  Sir  Chal- 
oner  Ogle,  to  observe  a  strange  squadron  on  his  way 
through  the  Archipelago,  also  came  into  port,  having 
had  a  sharp  sea  fight  in  the  night  off  Cape  Tiburon 
with  a  portion  of  the  French  fleet  in  those  seas,  in 
which,  after  much  damage  to  rigging,  spars  and 
bulwarks,  and  the  loss  of  over  one  hundred  men  on 
each  side,  both  parties  suddenly  discovered  that 
they  wrere  the  representatives  of  nations  at  peace 
with  each  other,  and,  after  many  very  pretty  apolo 
gies  and  complimentary  regrets,  parted  to  pursue 
their  several  courses. 

On  the  10th  of  January  Lord  Vernon,  Sir  Chaloner 
Ogle,  General  Wentworth,  General  Guise  and  Gov 
ernor  Trelawney  held  a  council  of  war  at  the  Govern 
ment  House  in  SpanishtowTn,  and  there  decided  that, 
in  view  of  the  hostile  meeting  briefly  chronicled 
above,  it  would  not  be  w^ise  to  attempt  anything 
against  Cartagena  before  ascertaining  whether  the 
French  admiral,  D'Antin,  had  any  intention  of  join 
ing  his  forces  to  those  of  the  king  of  Spain,  a  thing 
far  from  unlikely  in  the  unsettled  state  of  feeling 
between  France  and  England.  Accordingly,  the 
Wolf  sloop,  Captain  Dandridge,  was  despatched  to 
windward  to  reconnoitre,  and  orders  were  given  to 
the  fleet  to  hasten  forward  their  preparations  for  a 
new  cruise.  But  the  delays  were  many  and  una- 


158  Cartagena 


voidable,  and  sickness  had  so  ravaged  the  crews  of 
many  of  the  men-of-war,  that  some  of  them  counted 
the  disabled  by  hundreds.  Four  of  the  great  war 
ships  had  lower  masts  so  damaged  as  to  be  unser 
viceable,  three  by  M.  Kochefeuille's  shot  and  one 
shattered  by  lightning  in  a  storm,  while  all  of  Yer- 
Don's  own  vessels  had  long  needed  new  rigging  and 
stores,  which  arrived  in  the  transports  convoyed  by 
Sir  Chaloner  Ogle. 

Besides  this,  the  vessels  were  nearly  all  short  of 
water;  and  although  Yernon  had  made  the  best  pos 
sible  provision  for  speedily  supplying  that  necessary 
element,  it  was  not  until  the  22d  that  Sir  Chaloner 
Ogle,  with  his  division,  sailed  out  of  Port  Royal  har 
bor,  followed  by  Lestock  on  the  24th,  and  the  admiral 
himself  on  the  26th,  accompanied  by  the  transports, 
guarded  by  the  Falmouth  and  Litchfield  men-of-wrar. 

On  the  31st  the  whole  fleet  had  beat  up  to  Port 
Morant,  and,  seven  days  later,  lay  oif  Cape  Tiburon, 
the  western  point  of  Hispaniola,  where  the  next  day 
the  Wolf  joined  them,  with  news  that  the  Marquis 
D'Antin  with  nineteen  ships  lay  at  anchor  in  Port 
Louis;  and  Lord  Yernon  at  once  beat  up  to  the  Isle 
de  Yache,  about  six  miles  to  the  west  of  Port  Louis, 
where  a  French  officer  going  on  board  the  Wey- 
mouth  informed  Captain  Knowles  that  D'Antin  had 
sailed  for  Europe. 

Knowles  at  once  communicated  with  the  admiral, 
who  despatched  him  in  the  Spence  sloop  to  recon 
noitre,  and,  having  satisfied  himself  that  but  one  ves- 
sel-of-war  lay  in  the  suspected  port,  he  returned ;  but 
the  next  day,  with  Captain  Boscawen  and  General 


The  Sailing  of  the  Fleet  159 

Wentworth,  landed  at  Port  Louis,  where  they  were 
politely  entertained,  returning  with  the  information 
that  the  admiral,  with  twelve  of  his  nineteen  ships, 
had  sailed  for  Europe  nearly  a  fortnight  before. 

In  consequence  of  this,  the  fleet  put  into  Tiberon, 
Donna  Maria  and  Irish  Bays,  where  all  the  empty 
water  casks  were  filled,  and  the  Americans  were 
again  exposed  to  the  indignity  of  being  brigaded 
with  the  Jamaican  negroes,  and  detailed  to  cut 
fascine  and  gabion  materials;  but  the  health  of  the 
men  was  much  improved,  and  on  the  25th  the  signal 
was  given,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  sail 
drew  out  from  the  wooded  bays  of  western  Hispanio- 
la,  and  glided  before  the  trade  winds  southward  with 
out  storm  or  accident,  until,  on  the  evening  of 
Wednesday,  the  4th  of  March,  the  leading  ships  sig 
nalled  that  strange  sails  were  in  sight ;  and  Knowles, 
in  the  Weymouth,  with  his  attendant  sloops,  Experi 
ment  and  Spence,  led  the  way  in  shore  under  the 
Isle  of  Arenas,  and  into  the  anchorage  of  Punta  de 
la  Canoa,  Playa  Grande. 

It  was  nearly  daylight,  however,  before  the  trans 
port  in  which  Stephen's  company  had  been  bestowed 
came  down  under  foresail  and  jib,  and  ran  in  be 
tween  two  of  the  triple  row  of  warships  which 
strained  heavily  at  their  ground  tackle,  in  from  fif 
teen  to  twenty  fathoms,  with  the  trade  winds  still 
blowing  a  light  breeze,  and  the  land  currents  setting 
strongly  westward  toward  the  goal  of  their  hopes, 
the  city  of  Cartagena. 

With  the  daylight  all  were  on  deck,  except  the 
sick  and  dying,  of  whom  there  was  no  lack,  for  every 


160  Cartagena 


hour  in  the  day  some  poor  fellow,  scantily  coffined 
in  his  hammock,  but  too  often  not  even  provided 
with  sufficient  ballast  to  carry  the  wasted  body  to 
the  bottom  of  the  sea,  splashed  overboard  from  the 
transports  and  men-of-war,  to  float  on  the  swift  tides 
until  the  sharks  fought  over  their  terrible  banquet, 
not  infrequently  in  the  sight  of  the  very  com 
rades  and  shipmates  of  the  dead. 

But  misery  had  become  too  universal  to  excite  re 
mark,  and  even  on  board  of  the  cleanly  Salem  trans 
port,  in  which  Captain  Stewart's  good  fortune  had 
still  ordained  that  he  should  remain,  there  had  been 
sad  changes.  The  honest,  hard-featured  Yankee 
skipper  had  long  since  succumbed  to  the  fatal  fever, 
and  his  son,  still  emaciated  by  the  same  disease,  had 
almost  lost  heart,  and  ever  brooded  over  his  father's 
death,  the  long  detention  of  the  transports,  and  his 
fears  of  meeting  his  bereaved  mother  and  the  owners 
of  the  Two  Friends. 

Nevertheless  he  kept  the  cook — a  freed  Guinea 
negro,  black  as  the  ace  of  spades  and  as  cheery  and 
large-hearted  as  black — well  supplied  with  all  that 
the  resources  of  his  sea-going  experience  had  been 
able  to  secure,  and  daily  the  men  had  enjoyed  fresh 
fish,  porpoise  liver  and  plenty  of  sweet  water,  with 
lime  juice,  sugar  and  thick,  black  molasses;  while 
the  unhappy  men  on  board  the  English  ships  fed  on 
spoilt  beef  and  putrid  pork,  washed  down  with  grog, 
unsweetened,  and  without  lime  juice  or  even  vitriol 
to  correct  its  fiery  nauseousness. 

And  now  as  they  pitched  heavily  in  the  long 
groundswell  which  swept  the  almost  open  roadstead 


The  Sailing  of  the  Fleet  161 

of  Punta  del  Canoa,  the  boy-skipper  sat  soberly  on 
the  top  of  the  low  cabin,  and  beside  him  Captain 
Stewart  and  Stephen,  now  Sergeant  Hay,  were  talk 
ing  over  the  situation  and  their  hopes,  while  Wood- 
side,  the  English  first  lieutenant,  seated  on  the 
quarter,  stood  angling  for  groupers  and  joining  from 
time  to  time  in  the  conversation. 

"I  did  not  know,  Hay,  that  you  had  ever  visited 
these  coasts  before;  I  suppose,  then,  that  the  dim 
lights  we  saw  last  night  to  the  south-west  were  the 
beacons  of  Cartagena,"  said  Captain  Stewart. 

"I  reckon  not,"  said  Skipper  Clarke,  "for  the  epi 
tome  says  thet  the  entrance  is  near  thirteen  miles  to 
the  westward  of  the  city." 

"That  is  so,"  said  Stephen,  pleasantly.  "There's 
no  man  in  the  fleet  that  studies  chart  and  book  closer 
than  our  skipper.  I  wras  in  here  once,  driven  upon 
the  coast  by  a  gale,  in  the  Revenge,  letter-of -marque, 
and  had  to  run  into  this  very  anchorage.  No  Span 
ish  vessel  could  put  to  sea  in  such  a  gale,  but  we 
were  only  six  miles  or  so  from  the  city;  and  they 
sent  out  a  battery  of  light  guns  and  drove  us  to  sea, 
before  we  half  liked  the  look  of  the  sea  and  sky,  I 
promise  you." 

"Know  you  aught  of  the  land  hereabouts,  ser 
geant?"  asked  Stewart. 

"No,  sir!  The  only  thing  I  know  is  that  I  landed 
in  a  whaleboat  just  inside  that  ledge,  and  filled  a 
couple  of  casks  with  fair  water,  while  two  of  my 
men  gathered  half  a  bushel  or  so  of  guavas  and  cus 
tard  apples." 

"There's  a   new   book   in   my  kit,   Stairs,"    said 


162  Cartagena 


Woodside  wearily,  for  the  stout,  ruddy  Englishman 
had  failed  sadly  during  his  short  stay  in  the  tropics. 
"  'Tis  said  to  be  a  translation  from  the  work  of.  a 
Spanish  pilot,  and  ought  to  be  correct." 

Stairs,  who  had  lost  much  of  his  trim  appearance 
and  stiff  pomposity,  soon  returned  with  the  little 
book,  one  of  the  numerous  brochures  brought  out 
by  the  absorbing  interest  of  that  year  pregnant 
with  coming  war,  1740,  and  by  his  master's  direction 
handed  it  to  Captain  Stewart,  who  spread  out  the 
map  wrhich  prefaced  the  letter  press,  on  the  top  of 
the  companion  way. 

"We  are  lying  here,  I  suppose,"  said  he,  after  a 
moment's  thought,  "and,  if  the  map  is  correct,  oppo 
site  a  neck  of  land  which,  once  occupied,  would  shut 
out  Cartagena  from  all  succor  or  hope  of  reinforce 
ment  from  the  interior.  I  suppose  we  shall  soon  be 
sent  ashore,  although  I  must  say  that  the  prospect 
of  landing  through  yonder  surf  is  not  inviting." 

"Had  we  such  boats  as  that,"  said  Stephen,  point 
ing  toward  a  long  American  whaleboat  which  was 
lashed  amidships,  "we  could  easily  do  so,  but  such 
heavy,  clumsy,  low-lying  craft  as  the  boats  of  the 
squadron  are  fotally  unfit  for  such  work.  If,  how 
ever,  there's  any  scouting  to  be  done,  I  could 
easily  find  a  crew  on  board  here." 

Stewart  started  to  his  feet.'  "Do  you  hear  him, 
Woodside?  What  say  you,  shall  we  have  the  honor 
of  the  first  landing?" 

Woodside  threw  his  tackle  down  upon  the  deck. 
"With  all  my  heart,  Stewart,  but  first  we  must  get 
leave  of  the  Admiral,  or  at  least  of  the  captain  of  the 


The  Sailing  of  the  Fleet  163 

Weymouth  yonder.  I  knew  him  slightly  in  London, 
and  if  he  is  in  a  good  humor,  I  can,  I  think,  get  per 
mission." 

"Well,  sergeant,  choose  your  crew.  Captain,  I 
suppose  you'll  let  us  have  the  boat?"  he  continued, 
turning  to  Clarke,  who,  however,  showed  little  ap 
parent  pleasure  at  the  proposed  adventure. 

"I  don'  know,"  he  said,  thoughfully.  "Thar's 
more  than  an  even  chance  o'  losin'  the  boat,  an'  she 
cost  f  ortya  dollars  in  good  silver,  an'  besides  the  ol' 
man  sot  a  heap  by  her,  an  '  I  wouldn't  sell  her  fer 
more'n  she's  wo'th." 

"I'll  pay  for  her,  sirrah,"  said  the  lieutenant, 
wrathfully.  "I'll  leave  ten  guineas  in  your  hands 
before  she  leaves  the  side;  if  we  come  back  you  shall 
keep  two,  and  if  not,  the  whole  are  yours." 

"I  didn't  say  ye  couldn't  hev  the  boat,"  said  Clarke, 
quietly.  "An'  yer  money  ye  may  keep  ef  she  comes 
back  all  right,  an'  welcome.  But  I've  a  mother,  an' 
three  sisters  thet  hes  no  father  now,  an'  I  somehow 
doubt  ef  they'll  ever  see  me  agin,  an  ef  so  thar'll  be 
a  hard  show  fer  'em  in  this  world,  I  tell  ye." 

"Forgive  me,  captain,"  said  Woodside,  touched 
by  his  evident  depression  of  spirits,  "you  are  right 
to  look  out  for  your  poor  mother  and  your  sisters ;  let 
us  have  the  boat,  and  you  shall  have  the  guineas  and 
my  thanks  too." 

"Wai,"  said  the  young  man,  "thar's  one  more  con 
dition,  an'  thet  is  thet  you'll  take  me  w7ith  you.  I'm 
at  home  in  thet  old  craft,  an'  I'd  like  one  more  look 
at  the  ken  try  before  I  leave  it ;  I've  a  rifle  in  my  berth 
yonder  thet  I  reckon  might  be  of  a  leetle  use  if,  as  is 


164  Cartagena 


more  then  likely,  thar's  Spaniards  watchin'  us  from 
the  woods  ashore." 

Woodside  was  almost  speechless  at  this  new  de 
velopment  of  character  in  a  man  whom  he  had  once 
deemed  sordid  and  grasping  and,  at  the  best,  spirit 
less  and  unmanly,  if  not  actually  cowardly. 

"What  say  you,  Captain  Stewart?"  said  he  at  last, 
"it  is  for  you  to  make  up  the  party  of  course." 

"I  think  as  to  the  men  we  had  better  leave  it  to 
Sergeant  Hay,  but  the  skipper  of  course  has  a  right 
to  go  or  not,  as  he  chooses,  and  for  my  part  I  am 
glad  he  is  going  with  us.  How  many  will  she  carry, 
sergeant  ?" 

"We  ought  not  to  take  more  than  the  regular 
crew,  cap'n,"  said  Stephen  hesitatingly,  "for  the  surf 
is  heavy,  and  we  don't  go  to  fight,  but  to  scout  and 
learn  what  is  to  be  seen  under  yonder  palms  and 
ceibas.  Six  men  are  her  crew,  and  we  can  take 
eight,  but  more  would  be  in  the  way,  and  all  must 
know  how  to  swim." 

"That  last  will  shut  me  out  of  your  list,"  said 
Stewart,  regretfully.  "I  shan't  submit  to  it  in  my 
case,  I  assure  you." 

"Now,  what's  the  use,  cap'n?"  said  Clarke,  quickly. 
"I  tell  ye,  we've  got  an  ugly  job  to  land  yonder,  even 
with  good  men ;  an'  one  man  thet  can't  swim  is  sure 
to  drown  himself,  an'  perhaps  three  or  four  others." 

"There's  another  thing,  captain,"  said  Stephen, 
gravely.  "When  we  land,  unless  we  can  find  a  lee, 
we  shall  have  to  run  her  up  the  beach  on  a  roller, 
and  be  ready  to  jump  out  and  catch  her  before  the 
undertow  sucks  her  back  under  the  next  breaker; 


The  Sailing  of  the  Fleet  165 

and  if  we're  pursued,  we've  got  to  launch  her  into 
the  surf  and  jump  aboard  with  no  time  to  spare,  and 
you're  not  used  to  that  kind  of  work." 

"He's  right,"  said  Woodside,  "and  you'll  have  to 
stay,  captain,  I  think.  An  officer  must  go,  or  I'd  stay 
myself  and  trust  to  the  sergeant.  However,  I  can 
swim  like  a  fish,  and  know  something  of  boating  in 
the  surf,  for  I  spent  two  summers  among  the  Ork 
neys,  and  they  know  what  a  heavy  sea  is  there." 

"Well,  I  suppose  I  must  yield  to  younger  men," 
said  the  doctor,  slowly.  "Detail  your  men,  sergeant, 
and  get  everything  ready  at  once." 

"Will  you  take  an  oar,  skipper,  or  go  bowsman?" 
asked  Hay  of  Clarke,  who  had  just  come  upon  deck 
with  a  long,  heavy  rifle  in  his  hand,  which  he  pro 
ceeded  to  divest  of  a  close  swathing  of  woolen  rags, 
completely  saturated  with  porpoise  oil. 

"I  kin  do  both,  I  reckon,"  he  said  quietly  as  he 
slowly  rubbed  the  brass-mounted  stock  and  massive 
barrel  with  a  dry  cloth,  and  poured  in  a  loose  charge 
of  fine  powder2  preparatory  to  testing  her  condition 
for  service.  "Best  to  take  no  more  then  one  extra 
man,  I  guess,"  and"squibbing  off"  his  piece,  he  tested 
the  barrel  by  blowing  out  the  smoke  through  the 
pan,  and  taking  a  small  charger  of  alligator  tooth, 
measured  out  with  the  utmost  nicety  a  charge 
of  powder,  which  he  slowly  poured  into  the 
narrow  bore  of  his  piece.  From  a  small 
pouch  attached  to  a  shoulder-strap,  he  took 
a  tin  box  of  greased  buckskin  patches,  one 
of  which  he  laid  upon  the  muzzle,  and  selecting  a 
bullet  with  great  care  from  a  handful  token  from 


100  Cartagena 


the  same  pouch,  he  placed  it  in  the  centre  of  the 
leather,  and  with  his  loading  rod  drove  the  tightly 
fitting  missile  down  upon  the  powder.  After  loading 
he  primed  the  piece,  and  slightly  waxing  the  edges 
of  the  pan,  shut  down  the  cover  firmly  and  tied  it 
with  a  piece  of  whipcord. 

"I'll  lay  a  guinea  thet  thar's  a  piece  will  answer 
all  demands  at  sight,  es  Squire  Tompkins  used  to 
say,  an'  ef  so  be  the  pan  dont'  get  a  knock,  she'll  dew 
it  jest  the  same  ef  the  boat  rolls  over  an'  over  a  dozen 
times  in  goin'  ashore.  Mr.  Sampson,  git  out  the 
boat." 

The  mate,  a  huge  Cape-Codder,  called  to  his  aid 
a  dozen  by-standers,  who  in  less  time  than  it  takes 
to  tell  it,  had  the  lashings  off,  the  boat  raised  from 
her  supports,  turned  right  side  up  on  deck,  and  her 
oars,  mast,  and  other  fittings  cut  loose  from  their 
fastenings.  Her  tholepins  were  carefully  fitted,  the 
oars  laid  in  place,  her  mast  taken  out  and  stowed 
away,  and  her  lockers  cleaned  of  whale  tub,  line, 
boat  hatchet  and  other  whaling  gear.  "There's  an 
old  lance  slung  in  its  hooks  too,"  said  the  mate, 
"take  it  out,  Jones,  and  clear  away  all  this  craft." 

"Leave  the  whale  line  in,  Jones,"  said  Stephen. 
"As  for  the  lance  it  may  serve  to  fend  off  with  among 
the  rocks."  The  soldier  deftly  put  in  order  the  some: 
what  tangled  fakes  of  the  whale  line,  and  Stephen 
saw  at  once  by  his  wistful  expression,  that  the  fellow 
was  longing  to  go  on  the  proposed  excursion. 

"Jones,  Coggeshall,  Gibbs,  take  your  muskets  and 
bayonets,  but  leave  your  accoutrements  on  board. 
Untequit,  you  will  go  too,  and  as  we  have  no  cart- 


The  Sailing  of  the  Fleet  167 

ridges,  get  out  your  powderhorns  and  bullet-bags 
in  that  wooden  box  in  my  berth." 

Jones,  a  Cape  Ann  shore  fisher,  was  off  like  a  flash. 
Coggeshall,  a  Marbleheader,  and  the  privateersman 
whom  we  saw  in  good  Samuel  Miller's  gun  shop,  had 
already  brought  his  musket  on  deck  and  was  loading 
it  from  some  private  source  of  supply,  displaying 
as  he  did  so  a  handful  of  musket-balls  carefully 
sewed  up  in  soft  leather;  and  Gibbs,  of  Falmouth, 
deliberately  finishing  his  pipe,  went  below  to  prepare 
himself  for  the  trip. 

Woodside  had  already  received  his  sword  and  pis 
tols,  and  stood  awaiting  the  launch  of  the  boat, 
which  was  soon  alongside  and  rising  and  falling  with 
the  rough  sea.  Untequit  leaped  in  and  took  the  after 
oar,  and  Jones  and  Coggeshall,  the  privateersman, 
the  two  next  forward,  and  Clarke  the  bow,  after 
having  first  carefully  secured  his  weapon  to  the 
thwart  writh  a  piece  of  marline. 

"Come,  Gibbs,  bear  a  hand,"  cried  Stephen,  as  he 
took  the  long  steering  oar,  and  motioned  Woodside 
to  rather  contracted  quarters  in  the  stern  sheets. 

"Aye!  aye,  sir!"  answered  the  volunteer,  but  a  roar 
of  laughter  greeted  his  appearance,  for  he  had  laid 
aside  his  cocked  hat  and  wig,  and  a  stout  oilskin 
fisherman's  "sou'wester"  was  tied  tightly  over  his 
ears,  above  the  gay  coat  and  stiff  stock  of  his  regi 
mentals. 

"Here,  sirrah !"  said  Woodside  sternly,  "go  below 
and  put  on  your  hat  and  wig  at  once;  it  won't  do, 
you  know,  to  go  in  such  trim  aboard  the  Weymouth. 
We  should  have  all  hands  laughing  at  us,  from  the 
first  luff  down  to  the  powder  boys." 


168  Cartagena 


Gibbs  returned,  with  his  despised  head-gear,  and 
soon  the  light  boat  was  lying  under  the  lee  of  the 
Weymouth,  and  Woodside,  having  sent  his  card  on 
board,  was  invited  into  Captain  Knowles'  cabin. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you,  sir,"  said  he,  after  the  first 
greeting;  "but  Vernon  has  been  pleased  to  keep  me 
very  busy,  and  I  cannot  spare  you  much  of  my  time 
at  present.  Still,  I  am  really  glad  to  see  you,  and  if 
there  is  any  favor  that  I  can  do  you,  command  me." 

Woodside  bowed  his  acknowledgments.  "I  thank 
you,  sir,  but  I  come  to  ask  your  permission  to  recon 
noitre  yonder  shore  with  some  of  my  Americans. 
I  have  alongside  one  of  their  whale-boats,  and  a  crew 
accustomed  to  heavy  seas  and  landing  through  the 
surf,  and  skilled  in  Indian  fighting  and  privateering 
service ;  and  if  there  is  a  landing,  we  will  find  it." 

"Dear  me!  dear  me!"  said  the  captain,  wrho  was 
fast  verging  on  fifty.  "I  don't  know  what  to  say.  I 
have  no  specific  orders,  and  yet  it  might  be  of  great 
use.  Still,  I  shouldn't  dare  to  risk  boats  or  any  of 
His  Majesty's  stores  on  such  service." 

"I  risk  the  boat,  and  as  to  the  men,  all  are  of  my 
company,  except  two  belonging  to  the  transport. 
We  will  be  prudent,  and  will  search  the  shore  thor 
oughly." 

"Well!  well!  if  you  will  go,  I  won't  hinder  you, 
and  the  Spence  sloop  shall  be  ordered  to  cover  you 
with  her  guns  if  you  are  attacked.  Be  prudent 
though,  for  I  know  your  father  well,  and  would  not 
have  him  blame  me  if  aught  befalls  you.  James,  pass 
Lieutenant  Woodside  the  decanter.  Sir,  I  drink  to 
your  good  fortune  and  speedy  promotion;  but  be 
careful!  be  careful!" 


The  Sailing  of  the  Fleet  169 

Woodside  thanked  him  heartily,  drained  his  glass 
and  ran  on  deck.  Half  the  crew  were  at  the  side 
gazing  curiously  at  the  long,  sharp  craft  as  she  rode 
like  a  duck  at  the  end  of  a  line  from  the  boom.  At 
a  motion  of  his  hand,  they  veered  in,  he  descended 
the  side  and  stepped  aboard,  and,  five  minutes  later, 
they  were  to  leeward  of  all  the  fleet,  except  the 
sloop,  which  was  already  answering  the  signals 
from  the  Weyrnouth. 

As  they  swept  by  her,  an  officer  on  her  quarter 
waved  his  hand  to  them,  and  already  she  lay  with  a 
spring  upon  her  cable,  ready  to  lay  her  broadside  to 
the  shore,  although,  thus  far,  no  sign  of  human  life 
wras  to  be  seen  on  the  beach  or  in  the  dense  forest 
bevond. 


Chapter  XIII. 
Punta  Del  Canoa 

Two  hundred  yards  from  the  beach  they  lay  upon 
their  oars,  while  Woodside  with  his  glass  swept 
every  yard  of  the  alternate  patches  of  glistening 
rock  and  yellow  sea  sand,  on  which  the  heavy  rollers 
dashed  into  foam  with  a  roar  which  made  it  difficult 
to  hear  what  was  said  close  to  the  ear,  unless  uttered 
at  the  top  of  the  voice;  wrhile  even  the  staunchest 
surf  men  shook  their  heads  as  they  noticed  the  weight 
of  the  huge  green  rollers  and  saw  the  refluent  foam 
sucked  back  by  the  strong  undertow. 

"I'm  afraid  we  must  give  it  up  to-day,"  shouted 
Woodside;  "we  can't  face  such  a  sea  as  that,"  and, 
as  he  spoke,  he  pointed  to  a  rocky  islet  rising 
some  feet  above  the  surrounding  waves,  which, 
struck  by  a  sea  heavier  than  its  companions,  disap 
peared  for  a  moment  beneath  a  whirl  of  foam  and  the 
cloud  of  spray  that  dashed  across  the  highest  peaks. 

But  the  next  moment,  Clarke  had  seized  and  was 
about  to  level  his  rifle  at  an  object  wThose  presence 
no  one  had  heretofore  suspected. 

Leaping  up  from  behind  the  highest  fragments  of 
the  submerged  island,  a  naked  Indian  sprang  into 
the  sea,  and  was  borne  like  a  withered  leaf  along  on 
the  crest  of  a  roller  until  lost  from  view  behind  some 
projecting  point  of  rock;  and  the  skipper,  putting  his 
weapon  down,  pointed  to  the  islet  and  took  up  his 
oar  as  if  ready  to  pull  the  head  of  the  boat  round 


Punta  Del  Canoa  171 

toward  the  hidden  cove,  which  he  felt  must  lie  in 
side  the  ledge. 

Stephen  smiled,  but  held  up  his  hand  and  shook 
his  head,  motioning  to  Woodside  to  turn  his  glass 
toward  the  point  at  which  the  spy,  for  such  all  felt 
that  he  must  be,  would  have  to  land.  The  landing 
was  rocky,  but  the  cliffs  were  flat  and  open  on  top, 
with  neither  brush  nor  grass  to  cover  an  enemy,  al 
though  a  single  stunted  cedar  stood  near  the  further 
edge  of  the  little  promontory,  behind  which  seemed 
to  crouch  a  naked  human  figure.  Handing  his  sub 
ordinate  the  glass,  Woodside  pointed  to  the  native, 
for  such  he  seemed  to  be,  and  shouted  in  a  lull  of 
the  surf  beat,  "Let  us  try  it." 

Hay  raised  the  glass  and  saw  a  dusky-hued  arm 
raised  in  air,  and  a  gleam  of  steel ;  and  dropping  the 
perspective  caught  up  his  musket,  took  a  quick  aim 
and  fired.  The  distance  was  extreme,  a  good  two 
hundred  yards,  and  the  motion  of  the  boat  precluded 
certain  aim,  but  a  dry  twig  flew  into  splinters 
above  the  Indian's  head,  and  the  next  moment 
his  lithe  form  was  gliding  at  full  speed  toward  the 
forest,  which  lay  perhaps  a  quarter  of  a  mile  inland, 
although  many  clumps  of  bayonet-grass,  low  thorny 
chapparal,  and  beds  of  cactus  lay  scattered  over  the 
more  sterile  belt  of  open  ground. 

Stephen  lowered  his  piece,  steadied  it  between  his 
knees  and  loaded  it  with  that  grave  and  steady 
deliberation,  which  to  the  novice  is  provocative  of 
much  irritation,  but  is  really  the  result  of  experi 
ence  founded  on  numerous  mischances  arising  from 
undue  haste  and  careless  preparation.  Having  ex- 


172  Cartagena 


amined  his  flint  and  lock,  and  finally  primed  the 
piece  with  equal  care,  he  laid  her  down  beside  him, 
while  his  men  took  the  same  opportunity,  by  turns, 
of  assuring  themselves  of  the  state  of  the  priming 
of  their  own  weapons. 

Then  nodding  his  head  as  a  signal  to  give  way, 
Stephen  headed  the  boat  toward  the  narrow  opening 
between  the  islet  and  the  shore,  and  taking  advan 
tage  of  a  lull  in  the  heavy  swrell,  ran  in  under  its  lee, 
and  laying  the  boat's  head  off  shore  hastily  glanced 
round  at  the  cliffs.  The  prospect  was 
not  reassuring,  for  the  walls  of  the  chasm,  although 
low,  were  steep  and  smooth,  and  the  seas,  although 
much  broken  on  the  outer  ledges,  were  nevertheless 
too  heavy  to  risk  laying  a  boat  alongside  the  rocks, 
which  would  soon  have  splintered  the  light  whaler 
into  kindling  wood. 

Suddenly  Clarke  stood  up  in  his  place  and  pointed 
to  the  tree,  from  which  a  rude  kind  of  ladder  of  roots 
and  creepers  hung  dangling  over  a  projecting  shelf 
of  the  rock. 

Hay  saw  at  once  his  opportunity,  and  giving  the 
steering  oar  to  Woodside,  stepped  lightly  forward, 
and  taking  the  whale  line  made  a  running  bowline, 
which  he  committed  to  Clarke  with  directions  how  to 
use  it.  Then,  seeing  that  the  tub  was  old  and  shaky, 
he  dashed  in  the  bottom,  and  taking  the  lower  end 
of  the  coil  carried  it  aft,  and  assisted  by  Untequit 
coiled  some  twenty  fathoms  there  ready  for  use. 

Clarke,  in  the  meantime,  laid  aside  his  oar  and 
took  his  place  in  the  bow,  while  Hay,  watching  his 
opportunity,  ran  the  boat  close  up  to  the  high- 


Punta  Del  Canoa  173 

est  point  of  the  little  islet,  and  the  skip 
per  leaping  ashore  threw  the  bowline  over 
a  projecting  ledge,  tightened  the  noose  and 
leaped  aboard  just  in  time  to  escape  a  heavy  sea, 
which  swept  them  half  way  to  the  cliffs  before  he 
could  check  the  boat's  headway  by  a  turn  of  the 
warp  around  the  loggerhead. 

Stephen  waited  for  one  or  two  seas  to  test  the 
safety  of  his  new  mooring;  but,  finding  that  the  boat 
rode  easily  amid  the  broken  rollers,  he  signed  to 
Clarke  to  ease  away  on  the  whale  line,  and  to  the 
men  to  back  up  to  the  cliff,  until  the  stern  of  the  boat 
rose  and  fell  close  to  the  ladder,  and  not  a  dozen 
feet  from  the  volcanic  rock  of  the  surf -beaten  ledges. 

He  seized  the  rude  ladder,  fearing  to  have  it  come 
down  by  the  run,  for  he  knew  that  the  spy  had 
sought  its  destruction ;  but  a  sudden  fall  of  the  boat, 
which  left  him  hanging  by  it  above  the  water,  some 
what  assured  him  of  its  safety,  and,  clambering  up 
its  rude  projections,  he  found  himself  on  the  sum 
mit;  the  next  moment,  the  warp  flung  by  Untequit 
fell  across  his  outstretched  hands,  and,  passing  it 
around  the  dead  cedar,  he  returned  the  end  into 
the  boat,  and  in  five  minutes  more  the  little  party, 
with  their  weapons,  were  safely  landed  on  the  shore 
of  Punta  Del  Canoa. 

AYoodside's  first  care  was  to  survey  the  surround 
ing  country  with  his  glass ;  but  he  was  soon  assured 
that  no  immediate  danger  was  to-be  feared,  for  the 
point  was  narrow  and  several  hundred  yards  in 
length,  writh  nothing  upon  it  which  could  conceal 
a  foe,  while  the  woods  were  even  farther  away  than 
he  had  at  first  supposed. 


174  Cartagena 


He  accordingly  led  the  way  inland  a  little  out  of 
the  din  of  the  surf,  and  the  party,  throwing  them 
selves  down  on  the  short,  dry  herbage,  proceeded  to 
stretch  their  limbs,  cramped  by  their  long  boat  ser 
vice,  and  to  take  breath  after  the  hard  rowing  neces 
sary  to  counteract  the  swift  sweep  of  the  seas. 

"We  must  not  be  taken,  at  all  events,"  said  Wood- 
side,  "for  we  now  know  that  a  landing  is  possible 
even  in  such  a  sea  as  this;  and  that  is  a  point  of 
the  utmost  importance,  for  even  the  clumsy  boats  of 
the  men-of-war  can  be  moored  where  our  boat  is 
lying." 

"Thet's  true,"  said  Clarke,  "but  I  reckon  that  few 
on  'em  would  ever  git  thar  onless  the  steerin'  was 
better  than  I've  seen  so  far,  any  way.  But  a  leetle 
less  sea  would  make  it  safe  enough." 

"We  must  leave  one  man  here  to  keep  guard  over 
the  boat,"  continued  Woodside;  "and  as  he  must 
be  keen-sighted,  vigilant  and  of  good  judgment,  I 
must  leave  it  to  you,  sergeant,  to  choose  the  man; 
for  on  the  boat-keeper  may  depend  the  liberty,  if  not 
the  lives,  of  all." 

"Then,  if  it  is  left  to  me,  I  should  ask  the  skipper 
to  take  that  duty;  and  if  I  might  presume,  lieuten 
ant,  I  would  ask  that  you  lead  us  at  once  inland  to 
reconnoitre  the  woods;  for  if  there  are  no  troops 
there  now,  we  can  look  around  all  that  we  wish  to, 
and  there  certainly  will  be  some  here  in  a  few  hours 
at  most." 

"Let  me  go,  Master  Stephen,"  said  Untequit, 
quietly.  "If  anything  should  occur,  the  whole  of  us 
could  hardly  get  aboard  and  pull  off  before  cavalry 


Punt  a  Del  Canoa  175 

would  be  down  upon  us.  I  can  outrun  a  horse  for 
a  half-mile,  and,  if  you  will  let  me,  will  crawl  up 
yonder  dry  water- course  that  flanks  the  wood  to  the 
left;  then,  if  all  is  clear,  I  will  signal  you  to  come 
up  and  join  me." 

'1  don't  think  we  could  do  better,"  said  Woodside, 
musingly.  "Untequit,  you  can  go,  but  hasten  as 
much  as  you  can  with  safety." 

The  Indian  asked  permission  to  throw  aside  his 
uniform  coat,  hat,  wig  and  belts,  and  tying  a  dingy 
kerchief  around  his  head,  drew  off  his  heavy  gaiters 
and  spatterdashes,  and  with  only  a  long  knife  and 
pistol  in  his  girdle  went  back  to  the  cliff,  and  laid 
his  musket  and  clothes  beside  the  tree  where  Clarke 
also  took  his  post  as  boat-keeper. 

Untequit,  keeping  to  the  wrest,  followed  the  edge 
of  the  promontory  for  a  moment  or  two  and  was 
then  lost  to  view,  having  found  a  succession  of 
rough  shelves,  under  cover  of  which  he  skirted  the 
shore,  entering  the  mouth  of  the  dry  gully  without 
the  knowledge  of  even  his  own  party,  by  whom  he 
passed  while  they  were  busily  engaged  in  looking 
around  them. 

Suddenly  Lieutenant  Woodside,  who  was  using 
his  glass,  lowered  the  instrument,  stared  open-eyed 
at  a  clump  of  bushes  near  the  edge  of  the  gully  some 
two  hundred  yards  away,  took  another  look  through 
the  instrument,  and  finally  turned  to  Stephen  mut 
tering,  "We  must  get  out  of  this !  There's  an  Indian 
yonder  in  that  gully  that  our  man  was  to  take.  By 
the  way,  where  is  he?  He  went  down  to  the  boat 
to  leave  his  clothing." 


176  Cartagena 


Stephen  caught  up  the  glass,  but  instantly  lowered 
it  and  broke  into  a  low  laugh.  "Well,  he's  got  by- 
us  easily  enough,  and  I  guess  no  one  yonder,  if  there 
are  Spaniards  up  there,  will  see  what  we  haven't Jbeen 
able  to." 

"Well  done!"  said  Woodside,  heartily.  "Do  you 
know  though  that,  when  I  came  out  here,  I  had 
nothing  but  contempt  for  colonial  soldiers,"  he 
added  in  a  low  tone.  "But  now  I  am  certain  that 
almost  any  one  here,  is  better  fitted  to  manage  a 
matter  like  this  than  I  am  myself." 

"I  don't  think  that,  sir,"  said  Stephen,  gravely. 
"Nevertheless  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you  appreciate 
those  things  to  which  our  men  have  been  trained, 
and  in  which,  for  my  part,  I  hold  them  more  skil 
ful  than  any  other  people  in  the  world,  and  that  is 
the  use  of  boats,  general  skill  in  marksmanship  and 
individual  fighting." 

"I  don't  believe  there  are  any  troops  yonder,"  said 
Woodside,  thoughtfully,  "for  our  man  entered  the 
wood  some  moments  ago,  and  I  have  seen  him 
several  times  since  then  gliding  from  tree  to  tree 
around  its  border,  and  penetrating  deeper  into  the 
forest." 

"There  he  is!"  cried  Coggeshall,  rising  to  his  feet. 
"We  may  go  forward  now,  an'  get  some  fruit,  may 
hap,  before  we  hev'  to  go  off  on  board  again." 

Just  then  Untequit  was  seen  waving  his  kerchief, 
and  the  whole  party,  rising,  took  their  muskets  and 
moved  rapidly  across  the  open,  leaving  only  Clarke 
at  his  post  by  the  dead  cedar.  Fifteen  minutes  later 
they  reached  the  wood,  and,  passing  through— for 


Tunta  Del  Canoa  177 

it  was  a  mere  belt, — found  themselves  in  a  country 
road,  whose  broad  ruts  showed  that  the  rotas,  or 
wooden-wheeled  ox-carts  of  the  country  people,  were 
about  the  only  vehicles  that  ever  passed  that  way. 

"There's  a  small  hill  yonder  that  commands  a  view 
of  the  forts  and  the  city,"  said  Untequit;  and,  as 
cending  the  eminence,  which,  indeed,  gave  the 
anchorage  its  name  from  its  shape,  which  somewhat 
resembled  in  outline  an  overturned  canoe, — they 
crawled  cautiously  up  until  they  could  overlook  the 
summit,  and  saw,  some  six  miles  away,  the  spires 
of  Cartagena,  the  fortress  of  San  Lazaro,  and  the 
convent-citadel  of  Nuestra  Senora  de  la  Popa. 

"We  hed  better  get  off  at  once,"  said  Coggeshall, 
pointing  to  a  turn  in  the  road  some  two  miles  away, 
where  it  wound  around  a  sandy  hill  slightly  wooded 
wTith  huge  cotton-trees.  "Those  lancers  will  soon 
be  here,  at  the  rate  of  speed  they're  makin',  an'  we 
can't  gain  anythin'  by  stayin'." 

"I  move  we  have  some  of  the  fruit  from  yonder 
enclosure,"  said  Stephen,  pointing  to  the  foot  of 
the  hill,  a  little  to  their  right.  "The  boys  on  board 
would  like  some  plantains,  I  guess,  and  we  can  each 
take  a  bunch  as  well  as  not." 

"So  be  it;  but  no  time  is  to  be  lost,  for  in  fifteen 
minutes  they'll  be  here,"  said  Woodside;  and  plung 
ing  down  the  side  of  the  declivity,  they  found  them 
selves  beside  the  deserted  cottage  of  a  fisherman, 
whose  nets,  paddles  and  rude  household  equipage 
showed  signs  of  recent  occupancy.  In  the  little  gar 
den  around  it  were  a  score  or  more  of  plantains, 
bananas,  guavas,  orange  and  other  fruit  trees,  nearly 


Cartagena 


all  of  which  were  in  bearing;  but  as  the  former  were 
most  plentiful,  each  man  cut  a  bunch  of  yellow  plan 
tains  or  red  Baracoa  bananas,  and,  crossing  the 
road,  plunged  into  the  forest,  emerging  at  the  begin 
ning  of  the  gully  by  which  their  scout  had  come  in 
reconnoitring  the  place. 

Down  this  they  raced  in  single  file,  until  reach 
ing  the  cliff  they  emerged  on  the  shelf  of  rock  from 
which  they  could  see  the  islet,  which  was  now  much 
larger  in  extent,  the  tide  having  sensibly  fallen  since 
their  landing,  and  at  the  same  moment  they  heard 
apparently  from  just  beyond  the  hill,  the  clear  notes 
of  a  well  blown  bugle  and  the  "Andela!  Anda!"  of 
the  captain  of  lancers  as  he  urged  on  his  men. 

No  time  was  to  be  lost,  and  Woodside  hurried  his 
men  to  the  platform  where  Clarke  still  sat,  keeping 
well  out  of  sight  behind  its  trunk,  and  evidently 
anxious  about  something  or  other. 

"I'm  glad  you're  come,"  said  he,  "for  I  consait 
the-7':;  somethin'  ahind  yonder  side  of  the  cove  thet 
isn't  thar  for  any  good.  Pursued  did  ye  say?  Tum 
ble  right  in  thar,"  he  said,  catching  up  his  rifle. 
"Fust  the  fruit,  then  the  men  an'  then  myself." 

"Well  said,"  laughed  Woodside,  "but  I  come  last, 
skipper.  In  with  you,  Jones,  Gibbs  and  Coggeshall. 
Carefully,  now.  Here  are  the  muskets.  In  with 
you,  Untequit.  Go  down,  skipper,  for  yonder  are 
the  lancers  at  last,  just  beyond  the  gully,  and  by 
heaven!  by  the  side  of  the  captain  rides  that  naked 
Indian  that  tried  to  cut  the  rope.  In  with  you,  Hay." 

"By  the  Eternal!" 

It  was  Clarke  who  spoke,  and  as  he  caught  the 


Punta  Del  Canoa  179 

officer's  wrist  to  call  his  attention  to  seaward,  his 
lips  were  drawn  firmly  over  his  teeth  and  his  glance 
was  painfully  fixed  and  keen  as  he  pointed  out  an 
unexpected  danger. 

From  beyond  the  suspected  point  shot  out  into 
the  heaviest  of  the  surf,  a  rude  balsa,  or  raft  of  logs 
of  the  light  cotton-wood,  joined  three  abreast,  with 
the  central  one  turned  up  into  the  shape  of  a  prow, 
and,  kneeling  upon  it,  a  single  Indian,  with  a  broad 
paddle,  drove  it  with  surprising  swiftness  toward 
the  islet.  Arms,  save  a  knife  in  his  belt, -at  first 
sight  he  seemed  not  to  possess,  but  Stephen  pointed 
to  a  tiny  quiver  on  his  shoulders  and  a  long,  slender 
reed  which  lay  between  his  naked  knees,  and  even 
Woodside  grew  white  as  Hay -said  impressively: 
"He  has  a  gravatana  there;  the  arrows  he  carries 
yonder  are  fatal.  If  he  reaches  the  islet  we  are  lost." 

As  he  spoke,  he  poised  his  musket  and  fired,  but 
the  ball  caught  on  the  rising  crest  of  an  intervening 
wave,  and  ricochetted  over  the  head  of  the  occu 
pant  of  the  balsa;  and  from  behind  them,  those  on 
the  top  of  the  cliff  heard  the  nearing  hoof -beats  of 
the  cavalry. 

"Git  daown  intew  the  boat,  leftenant,  an'  yew,  tew, 
Hay,  an'  tell  your  men  I'll  tend  to  yonder  varmint, 
an'  they  may  save  their  fire  to  cover  me.  I'll  git  him 
when  he  lands ;  ef  I  don't,  may  I  never  hear  Salem 
church  bells  ag'in." 

Woodside  lowered  himself  into  the  boat.  Stephen 
unrove  the  bight  of  the  whale  line,  threw  it  into  the 
stern,  dropped  down  the  native  ladder,  and  reload 
ing  his  piece,  looked  from  the  figure  above  him  to 


180  Cartagena 


the  Indian  balsa  and  its  occupant,  who  had  just 
drawn  in  under  the  lee  of  the  ledge,  and,  catching 
up  his  weapon  and  drawing  his  knife,  leaped  from 
his  rude  craft  to  the  summit  of  an  isolated  rock  a 
couple  of  yards  from  the  main  islet.  With  a  cry  of 
triumph,  he  drew  himself  together  for  the  final  leap; 
but  the  tall,  gaunt  rifleman  overhead  raised  his  heavy 
weapon,  and  a  sharp,  whip-like  crack,  scarce  heard 
above  the  surf,  told  that  the  death  shot  had  parted. 
The  war  cry  died  away  on  the  dusky  lips,  the  deadly 
tube  fell  from  the  outstretched  hand,  and  the  Guay- 
queria,  faithful  to  the  death  to  the  Spaniard,  fell 
dead  in  the  midst  of  the  surf. 

"Hello!  below  thar'!  look  out  for  her,  sergeant," 
and  Stephen  caught-  in  his  hands  the  trusty  weapon, 
as  its  owner  dropped  lightly  into  the  stern,  and 
sprang  over  the  thwarts  to  the  bow,  where,  seizing 
the  line,  he  joined  with  the  others  to  warp  the  boat 
out  of  musket  shot  of  the  shore. 

"We  needn't  mind  their  muskets  much,"  said 
Coggeshall,  "but  them  Spanish  'scopetas  are  the 
devil  to  carry.  Ah!  here  they  come,  boys!"  and  as 
he  spoke,  the  lancers  drew  up  on  the  edge  of  the 
cliff  and  opened  fire.  As  Coggeshall  had  intimated, 
their  arms  and  ammunition  were  poor,  and  the  one 
or  two  balls  which  struck  the  boat  rebounded  or 
fell  harmlessly  into  the  sea;  but  one  of  the 
troop,  reserving  his  fire,  drew  up  a  short,  clumsy 
bell-mouthed  weapon,  and,  taking  deliberate  aim, 
fired  just  as  Clarke  bent  over  to  cut  the  line  short  off 
at  the  chocks — for  that  was  no  time  to  count  a  few 
feet  of  rope  against  men's  lives. 


Punta  Del  Canoa  181 

The  splinters  were  seen  to  fly  in  the  bow  of  the 
boat,  a  terrible  burst  of  profanity  followed,  and  all 
thought  that  their  skipper  had  been  severely  if  not 
mortally  wounded;  but  when  he  rose,  he  held  in  his 
hands  the  stock  and  barrel  of  his  long-tried  piece, 
cut  short  off  at  the  small  of  the  stock  by  the  huge 
bullet  of  the  trabuco. 

As  the  boat  shot  out  into  the  open  sea,  the  men 
caught  up  their  muskets  and  returned  the  fire  by 
way  of  bravado;  but  only  one  bullet  took  effect, 
killing  the  horse  of  the  commander  of  the  pursuing 
force. 

By  this  time  the  heaviest  guns  of  the  Spence 
sloop  opened  upon  the  lancers,  who  disappeared 
promptly  from  a  field  where  so  unequal  a  game 
offered  itself;  and  as  the  boat  passed  her,  a  hearty 
cheer  burst  from  the  lips  of  the  tars,  in  honor  of  the 
success  of  the  adventurers. 

Going  on  board  of  the  Weymouth,  Lieut.  Wood- 
side  reported  the  events  of  the  day,  and  urged  on 
Capt.  Knowles  the  acceptance  of  one  of  the  bunches 
of  fruit;  and  having  received  orders  to  hold  himself 
and  men  in  readiness  for  farther  service,  the  men 
returned  to  receive  the  thanks  and  applause  of  their 
captain  and  comrades  on  board  the  Two  Friends. 


Chapter  XIV. 
Preparing  for  Battle 

The  next  day  at  dawn,  a  boat  came  alongside  the 
Two  Friends,  and  Lientenant  Woodside  received 
an  order  requiring  him  to  report  with  his  whaleboat 
and  crew  to  Captain  Cotteril  of  the  Lion,  a  large 
60-gun  ship;  and  with  the  same  crew  as  the  day 
before  (with  the  exception  of  Skipper  Clarke,  who 
remained  on  board  to  repair  his  broken  rifle),  he 
hastened  alongside  the  Lion,  and  found  her  men  at 
quarters.  A  few  moments  later,  General  Went- 
worth  came  on  board,  and,  albeit  the  sea  was 
rougher  than  that  of  the  day  before,  the  ship  got 
under  way  and  stood  down  the  coast,  carefully 
conned  by  her  Spanish  pilots  and  keeping  the  lead 
going  continuously,  as  the  course  lay  nearer  the 
dangerous  shallows  on  which  the  heavy  rollers  broke 
into  masses  of  white  foam. 

As  they  drew  out  from  the  shelter  of  the  islets, 
the  sea  grew  still  more  terrible,  and  the  oldest  sea 
men  shook  their  heads  as  the  ship  staggered  along 
under  short  sail,  unable  to  open  her  ports  on  the 
lower  decks,  and  so  tossed  and  buffeted  by  the  long, 
heavy  rollers  that  the  sailing  master  and  his  as 
sistants  looked  anxiously  to  the  condition  of  spars 
and  stays,  and  rove  and  applied  preventer  gear 
wherever  additional  strength  could  be  secured;  for 
the  Lion  had  been  long  on  service,  and  much  of  her 
rigging  needed  replacing,  for  which  neither  time  nor 
material  had  been  afforded. 


Preparing  for  Battle  183 

But,  although  the  day  was  clear  and  cloudless, 
and  the  wind  gradually  lulled  as  the  sun  rose  higher 
over  head,  the  danger  only  became  more  pressing, 
for  the  shoreward  current  set  them  nearer  the  break 
ers,  and  the  heavy  yards  and  booms  swung  and 
slatted  as  the  ship  was  heaved  and  listed  to  lar 
board  and  starboard  by  the  mountainous  rollers. 

"We  shall  lose  our  boat,  lieutenant,"  said  Stephen 
anxiously,  "and  much  I  fear  that  harm  will  come  to 
Gibbs  yonder,  for  they  say  among  the  men  that  the 
masts  are  shaky  and  the  shrouds  old  and  rotten, 
and  should  it  go  it  will  crush  both  the  whaler  and 
the  other  boat  at  the  boom." 

Woodside  spoke  to  the  officer  of  the  deck  and,  ten 
minutes  later,  in  obedience  to  orders,  Gibbs  made 
fast  one  end  of  the  whale  line  to  the  painter  and, 
bringing  the  other  in  on  the  boom,  let  the  boat  run 
astern,  where,  at  the  end  of  thirty  fathoms  of  warp, 
she  danced  like  an  eggshell  over  the  heavy  sea,  and 
awakened  no  little  admiration  of  her  graceful  make 
and  lively  qualities  among  the  English  officers,  and 
the  crews  of  the  clumsy  yawls  and  heavy  cutters  of 
the  ship. 

They  had  scarcely,  however,  ceased  canvassing 
the  peculiarities  of  American  boat  building  than  the 
watch  was  called  to  take  in  the  maintopsail,  for  the 
wind  was  now  almost-  insufficient  for  steerage  way, 
and  the  slatting  of  the  yards  promised  at  every 
roll  to  carry  away  the  topmast,  which  sprung  like  a 
piece  of  steel. 

"We  had  better  return,  your  excellency,"  said  Cot- 
teril  to  the  commander  of  the  land  forces,  who  stood 


184  Cartagena 


with  him  near  the  break  of  the  quarter-deck.  "We 
are  losing  the  wind  in  here  under  the  land,  and  our 
only  hope  of  safety  lies  in  standing  off  shore  into 
yonder  streak  of  blue  water." 

"We  can't  have  much  reason  to  fear,"  replied 
Wentworth,  rather  contemptuously.  "There  is  no 
wind,  as  you  say,  and  Lord  Yernon  says  you  have 
one  of  the  staunchest  ships  of  his  squadron.  What 
danger  can  there  be?" 

More  he  would  have  said ;  but  at  that  moment  the 
slender  pole  of  the  main-top-gallant-mast  snapped 
its  stay,  and  the  broken  rope  in  its  fall  struck  a  top- 
man,  who,  with  a  bruised  and  bloody  face,  still  man 
aged  to  cling  to  his  hold  on  the  top-sail  yard;  but 
a  larger  sea  than  before  was  seen  coming  a  half- 
mile  to  seaward,  and  Cotteril  roared,  in  a  voice  of 
thunder: 

"Lay  down  there  in  the  main-top !  Lay  down  from 
aloft,  all!  Lively,  men! — lively!" 

The  order  came  not  a  moment  too  soon,  and,  for 
tunately  for  the  lives  of  the  men,  was  obeyed  as 
promptly  as  it  was  given.  Some  slid  down  by  the 
stays,  others  swarmed  down  the  shrouds,  while  a 
few  of  the  older  and  less  active  men  had  hardly 
quitted  the  ratlines  when  the  wave,  racing  down 
upon  them,  filled  the  deck  Ijalf  full  of  water,  and 
sent  the  faithless  main-mast  .with  all  its  gear  over 
the  side,  bringing  down  in  its  fall  the  lighter  spars 
of  the  fore  and  mizzen  masts. 

Wentworth  stared  aghast  at  the  terrible  scene 
of  confusion  which  followed  and  the  view  presented 
alongside,  where  a  huge  mass  of  wooden  spars, 


Preparing  for  Battle  185 

heavy  rigging  and  wide-spread  canvas  lay  under 
the  lee,  forming  a  dangerous  raft,  against  whose 
projections  each  roller  dashed  the  ship  with  a  force 
which  momentarily  threatened  to  be  fatal. 

"Let  us  take  to  the  boats,"  said  the  general, 
hastily,  but  Cotteril,  with  somewhat  of  disdain  in 
his  tone,  made  answer: 

"It  would  cost  me  my  commission  to  give  up  one 
of  His  Majesty's  ships  while  a  chance  of  saving  her 
remained,  and  I  do  not  despair  of  carrying  her  back 
to  Plaza  Grande,  although  the  case  is  serious.  Your 
own  boat  or  that  of  the  Americans  is  at  your  service 
if  you  desire  to  return  to  the  fleet,  but  my  duty  lies 
here." 

"Pardon  me,  captain,"  said  Wentworth  heartily, 
"you  know  we  of  the  army  are  poor  sailors,  and  ig 
norance  they  say  is  the  parent  of  fear.  I  will  re 
main  and  share  your  fortunes ;  perhaps  you  can  make 
use  of  the  Americans  you  spoke  of.  Captain 
Knowles  recommended  them  to  me  very  highly,  as- 
better  than  ordinary  for  dangerous  service." 

Cotteril  nodded  pleasantly,  but  turned  to  give 
orders  through  his  trumpet  to  extricate  his  vessel 
from  her  dangerous  predicament,  and  the  splashing 
of  the  anchors  and  rattling  of  the  chains  through 
the  hawse-pipes  soon  followed,  and  after  some  mo 
ments  of  suspense,  the  ship  begun  to  swing  head  to 
the  wind  and  pitch  into  the  tremendous  rollers  with 
a  force  which,  but  for  the  sandy  nature  of  the 
ground,  which  allowed  the  anchors  to  drag,  would 
have  torn  away  the  windlass  or  snapped  the  chains 
like  pipe-stems. 


18G  Cartagena 


Meanwhile,  the  men  with  axes  and  knives  cut 
and  slashed  at  the  rigging  in  order  to  got  clear  of 
the  wreck  which  still  lay  alongside,  giving  a  heavy  list 
to  the  ship  and  adding  to  the  strain  upon  her  cable. 
Gibbs,  Jones  and  Coggeshall  joined  in  the  work,  cut 
ting  quickly,  but  so  as  to  save  the  largest  possible 
amount  of  material.  Stephen,  with  his  Spanish 
knife,  did  almost  the  work  of  two  men,  and  Unte- 
quit,  the  most  agile  of  the  crew,  saved  much  of  the 
gear  belonging  to  the  canvas  of  the  foremast  and 
foretop,  in  which  service  he  caught  an  approving 
glance  from  the  captain  himself. 

"I'd  like  to  save  the  wreck  from  yonder  Spanish 
hounds,"  said  Cotteril  to  his  companion,  "but  the 
anchors  won't  stand  the  strain,  and  it  must  go  to 
leeward,  I  fear."  But  Stephen,  who  was  just  de 
scending  the  mizzen  rigging,  forgetful  of  etiquette 
and  rank,  spoke  as  he  would  have  spoken  on  the 
deck  of  the  Two  Friends. 

"Why  not  bend  on  a  large  kedge,  and  let  them 
drift  into  shallow  water?  There  they'll  be  out  of 
reach  of  the  Spaniards,  and  we  can  get  them  when 
the  sea  goes  down." 

"Well  said,  my  man.  How  they  ever  got  you  into 
a  red  coat,  I  don't  see.  Pass  the  word  forward, 
Mr.  Alston,  and  let  them  make  fast  a  strong  warp 
to  the  wreckage  and*  bend  on  one  of  our  heaviest 
kedges." 

"  'Tis  easier  said  than  done,  sir,"  said  the  first  luff 
rather  contemptuously,  "for  the  drift  .must  be  dead 
aft,  and  our  drift  is  now  so  fast  that  we  should 
be  right  amid  it  again  in  a  few  moments.  If  we 


Preparing  for  Battle  187 

could  carry  the  kedge  to  the  westward  an  hundred 
fathoms,  it  might  help  us." 

"Say  the  word,  sir,  and  we'll  do  it  with  our  whale- 
boat,"  said  Woodside  eagerly;  "and  as  to  the  warp, 
our  whale  line,  they  say,  will  stand  more  than  ordi 
nary  cordage  of  nearly  three  times  the  circumfer 
ence.  Only  I'd  recommend  you  to  trust  details  to 
Sergeant  Hay  here,  who  knows  most  about  it." 

"Very  well!  very  well!  How  much  of  the  whale 
line  have  you  sir?"  asked  the  lieutenant. 

"About  one  hundred  and  eighty  fathoms,  I  think, 
sir,"  said  Stephen.  "I'd  like  to  have  you  sling  the 
kedge  by  a  piece  of  spar,  so  that  we  can  get  its 
weight  more  amidships,"  he  continued. 

"All  right,  sir!  Get  your  boat  under  the  lee  and 
your  gear  shall  be  ready,"  and  two  minutes  later 
the  boat  was  lying  under  the  quarter,  and  one  end 
of  her  line  lashed  to  one  of  the  shrouds  remaining 
uncut,  while  the  rest  lay  coiled  in  the  stern  of  the 
whaler.  The  kedge,  brought  aft  by  a  dozen  men, 
was  slung  by  two  ropes  to  a  long  stretcher,  and  the 
other  end  of  the  warp  having  first  been  bent  to  the 
kedge,  the  boat  was  run  under  the  spar,  and  being 
carefully  eased  away  the  kedge  hung  beneath  the 
keel  of  the  whaler  just  under  the  amidships  thwart. 
The  men  bent  to  their  oars  and  rowed  out  under  the 
lee  of  the  vessel,  while  Stephen  paid  out  the  line, 
for  the  men  kept  the  proper  course,  keeping  the 
sharp  stern  to  the  crests  of  the  huge  ocean  rollers, 
and  then  cautiously  edging  away  to  the  westward 
until  only  a  few  coils  were  left  in  the  boat. 

"Stand  ready  to  cut  the  line  in  the  centre  of  the 


188  Cartagena 


spar,  Gibbs,"  cried  Stephen,  as  he  caught  the  few 
remaining  fakes  in  his  hands  and  threw  them  clear 
of  the  gunwale,  just  as  they  had  safely  escaped  the 
crest  of  a  huge  green  roller  and  looked  across  the 
green  abyss  to  another  equally  huge. 

"Aye,  aye,  sir,"  said  Gibbs,  laying  his  keen  knife 
on  the  rope,  which  secured  only  by  slight  lashings, 
lay  stretched  along  the  spars. 

"Cut  then,  and  stand  clear,"  cried  Stephen.  The 
knife  fell,  the  rope  parted,  one  moiety  slipping 
through  the  lashings  and  the  other  carrying  the  spar 
end  over  end  into  the  sea,  and  the  light  craft  lay 
clear  of  danger,  ready  to  return  to  the  Lion,  which 
still  dragged  under  the  added  strain  of  the  wreck. 

Stephen  waved  his  cap;  the  axes  of  the  tars  fell 
on  the  few  shrouds  which  still  held;  and  as  the 
American,  writh  his  long  steering  oar,  made  for  the 
lee  of  the  vessel,  he  saw  the  submerged  tops  gradu 
ally  draw  apart,  and  the  dismasted  man-of-war 
righting  and  riding  more  easily  at  her  dangerous 
moorings. 

Later  the  next  day,  the  wind  breezed  up  suf 
ficiently  to  allow  the  Lion  to  get  under  way  and 
return  to  the  squadron,  and  the  New  Englanders 
were  sent  to  their  vessel,  with  orders  to  join  a  small 
squadron  detached  for  special  duty  on  the  morrow; 
and,  indeed,  it  seemed  likely  that,  for  a  time,  at  least, 
Capt.  Stewart  would  have  little  assistance  from  the 
presence  of  his  tall  sergeant  and  the  crew  of  "the 
Yankee  whaleboat." 

On  the  9th  of  March  the  sea  was  still  heavy,  and 
the  huge  rollers,  as  they  broke  upon  the  shallows 


Preparing  for  Battle  189 

to  the  westward,  forbade  any  decided  general  move 
ment;  but  the  smaller  frigates  about  noon  got  under 
way,  and,  manning  their  deck  batteries,  stood  down 
the  coast,  running  close  in  shore,  as  if  about  to  can 
nonade  the  city,  while  the  Dunkirk,  Capt.  Cooper, 
with  the  twro  sloops  so  often  mentioned,  kept  on 
down  the  coast  of  Tierra  Bomba,  an  island  which, 
separated  by  a  shallow  strait  from  the  city, 
stretches  westward  for  several  leagues  to  the  pas 
sage  of  Boca  Chica,  or  the  "Little  Mouth,"  the  only 
navigable  entrance  to  the  great  lagoon  of  Cartagena. 

Nothing,  howrever,  came  of  these  movements;  for, 
although  Don  Sebastian  de  Eslava,  the  military  gov 
ernor,  sent  his  men  to  the  outer  walls,  he  well  knew 
that  neither  his  own  brass  pieces  nor  the  iron  guns 
and  short  carronades  of  the  frigates  could  work 
harm  across  the  broad  expanse  of  sandy  shallows 
and  dangerous  surf  which  defended  his  stronghold 
on  the  seaward  side;  and  threatened  its  future  ex 
istence  with  the  same  fate  which  had  befallen  what 
was  formerly  a  broad  and  level,  although  sandy 
plain,  but  was  now  a  shoal  unsafe  for  the  lightest 
canoe,  except  in  perfectly  calm  weather. 

But  that  night  as  they  returned,  wet,  weary  and 
hungry,  they  noted  an  unusual  stir  in  the  fleet,  which 
seemed  to  intimate  that  on  the  morrow  the  long 
delay  would  be  ended,  and  the  great  struggle  be 
tween  the  Briton  and  Spaniard  would  be  brought 
to  an  issue. 

Clarke  met  them  at  the  rail.  "I've  sold  the  boat 
an'  I  reckon  I  sold  her  well,  tew;  an'  arter  this  I 
s'pect  you'll  hev  to  live  aboard  the  Weymouth, 


190  Cartagena 


fer  Captain  Knowles  I  hear  has  begged  ye  fer  special 
service.  Hows'ever,  I'll  be  sorry  to  hev  ye  leave,  an' 
to-night  the  cook  lies  somethin'  hot  an'  hearty  fer  ye 
in  the  caboose.  We've  hed  good  luck  fishing  to-day, 
an'  you'll  be  the  better  for  some  fried  pompano,  I 
reckin." 

Capt.  Stewart  confirmed  the  news,  and  handed 
Lieut.  Woodside  his  orders  to  report  to  Capt. 
Knowles  the  next  morning.  His  men  were  to  take 
their  kits,  and  be  quartered  on  board  until  further 
orders. 

"You'll  hev  a  chance  to  see  how  you  like  the 
food  an'  lodgin'  thar,"  said  Clarke,  meaningly;  "but 
I  reckin  if  they'll  on'y  let  ye  off  by  yourselves  once 
a  day,  you  can  find  somethin'  decent  to  eat." 

"We  can't  always  expect  to  live  as  well  on  board 
ship  as  we  have  with  you,  skipper,"  said  Stephen, 
heartily,  "and  I,  for  one,  shall  never  forget  your 
kindness;  but  we  will  carry  some  bird-shot  and 
fishing  tackle  with  us,  and  it  will  go  hard  but  we 
manage  to  pick  up  fish  and  meat  enough  for  our 
selves,  while  we  are  detached." 

"They  say  that  we  are  to  go  on  board  Commo 
dore  Lestock's  vessels,"  said  Capt.  Stewart,  a  little 
wearily.  "I  hope  not,  for  I  was  on  board  a  vessel 
of  the  fleet  yesterday,  and  the  men  are  crowded 
together  so  that  there  is  little  chance  for  the  sick, 
and  great  danger  to  those  not  yet  attacked  by  the 
fever.  It's  a  pity,  that  the  council  of  war  has  de 
cided  not  to  attack  on  this  side  of  the  town ;  and  as 
we  have  to  enter  the  harbor  over  thirty  miles  from 
here,  they  will  have  every  opportunity  to  send  out 


Preparing  for  Battle  191 

their  treasure  and  ineffective  population,  and  bring 
in  supplies  and  reinforcements.  We  have  come, 
I  hear,  to  a  fair  basis  for  the  division  of  plunder, 
but  I'm  afraid  we  are  selling  the  lion's  skin  on  the 
back  of  the  beast." 

"The  captain  is  not  himself,"  said  Woodside,  as 
they  sat  on  deck  enjoying  their  food,  so  thought 
fully  prepared  for  them  by  the  young  skipper ;  "and 
he  has  enough  on  his  hands  as  an  officer,  without 
trying  to  be  surgeon  to  his  own  command  and  hon 
oring  every  call  that  is  made  on  his  kind  heart; 
although  God  knows  it  would  be  well  were  all  in 
authority  here  as  humane  as  he." 

As  he  spoke  the  captain  came  up  from  below, 
and  stepping  to  the  rail  looked  across  the  inter 
vening  waters  towrard  the  shore,  where  here  and 
there  the  gleam  of  the  bivouac  fires,  or  the  glim 
mer  of  a  lantern,  told  that  Don  Sebastian  de  Eslava 
was  not  yet  minded  to  withdraw  the  corps  of  ob 
servation,  which  for  the  last  three  days  had  been 
entrenching  themselves,  and  awaiting  any  attempt 
to  disembark. 

The  sea  was  going  down  fast,  and  the  rollers, 
though  large,  seldom  broke  into  foam,  but  swept 
lazily  along  with  an  occasional  gleam  of  phos 
phorescent  fire  wherever  the  oily  surface  was 
broken  by  prow  or  cable,  or  the  occasional  passage 
of  a  boat  from  one  vessel  to  another.  Above  the 
sky  was  clear,  and  in  the  deep  blue  the  tropical 
constellations  shone  writh  a  wondrous  beauty,  and 
as  Stewart  raised  his  eyes  to  gaze  upon  them,  his 
regular  and  noble  features  seemed  almost  like  the 


192  Cartagena 


profile  of  a  marble  statue,  so  pale  and  thin  had  he 
become  with  over  anxiety  and  unremitting  labor 
for  others. 

"  'Tis  a  question/'  said  Woodside  gravely,  "if  we 
keep  our  captain  long,  and  though  once  I'd  have 
deemed  it  a  bit  of  luck  to  get  the  grade,  damme  if 
I  shouldn't  be  sorry  to  step  into  his  shoes,  for  a 
kinder  man  I  never  saw." 

"That  is  true,  sir,  and  as  brave  as  he  is  kind, 
I'm  sure,"  said  Stephen.  "But  you  must  talk  to 
him,  lieutenant,  for  he  has  a  noble  wife  and  loving 
daughter  at  home  there  in  Boston,  and  I  doubt  if 
he  will  leave  them  over  well  provided  for  should 
aught  befall  him." 

"Come,  Woodside,  this  won't  do,"  said  Stewart, 
approaching  them,  "the  night  air  is  not  the  best 
thing  in  the  wrorld  for  you  who  have  been  hungry 
and  weary  all  day.  'Tis  a  beautiful  evening 
though,  and  even  the  great  war  ships  seem 
less  grim  and  cruel.  The  sky,  too,  is  so  clear  and 
the  stars  so  brilliant,  that  all  things  seem  full  of 
peace,  and  rest  and  beauty.  Why,  the  very  waves 
that  have  swept  against  us  so  heavily  for  the  past 
week  seem  going  to  sleep,  and  one  would  think 
that  neither  human  suffering  nor  the  destructive 
passions  of  man  could  exist  in  such  a  scene.  I  as 
sure  you,  gentlemen,  that  the  contemplation  of  so 
much  peaceful  beauty  is  a  great  relief  to  me,  for  I 
weary  of  the  human  suffering  and  death  that  so  far 
has  surrounded  us." 

Suddenly  a  terrific  scream,  or  rather  series  of 
,  cries,  came  up  the  hatchway  of  the  schooner ;  a  half 


Preparing  for  Battle  193 

clad  figure  emerged,  and,  eluding  the  sentinel, 
crossed  the  gangway  at  a  bound,  leaped  upon  the 
rail,  and  ere  Stephen  could  prevent  it,  sprang  into 
the  sea.  Hay  was  about  to  follow,  but  Untequit, 
who  had  followed  the  delirious  man  from  below, 
laid  his  hand  upon  his  shoulder  and  ejaculated, 
"Look!" 

On  the  inner  crest  of  the  roller  which  had  just 
passed  beneath  them,  a  sharp  object,  cutting  the 
water  with  great  velocity,  appeared  above  the  water, 
and  the  next  instant  a  huge  shark  was  seen  envel 
oped  in  a  phosphorescent  glow,  which  rendered  the 
squaliform  monster  almost  supernaturally  terrible 
and  repulsive;  and  as  the  spectators  stood  almost 
petrified  with  horror,  the  man-eater  glided  down  into 
the  depths  where  the  doomed  man  had  disappeared. 

Stephen  broke  from  his  trance  and  seized  the 
sentinel's  musket,  Woodside  felt  mechanically  for 
the  heavy  pistols  he  had  laid  aside,  and  Untequit 
looked  in  vain  for  a  weapon;  but  the  terrible  epi 
sode  was  soon  over.  For  an  instant  the  head  and 
outstretched  arms  of  the  doomed  man  were  seen 
above  the  surface,  and  then  there  was  a  shriek  of 
mortal  agony,  a  gleam  of  crimson  in  a  circle  of  phos 
phorescent  water,  and  all  was  over. 

"Poor  Jarvis!"  exclaimed  the  captain.  "He  was  a 
stout  shipwright  at  Medford  Bridge  last  summer, 
and  left  a  good  home  and  prospect  of  a  fair  heritage 
to  die  thus  terribly.  Well ;  well !  I  must  to  bed,  but 
I  fear  me  I  shall  not  rest  much  after  such  a  sight." 

"'Tis  the  lot  of  man,  captain,"  said  Stephen 
quietly,  "and  what  matters  it  how  we  go  out  of  life, 


194  Cartagena 


so  that  our  work  is  well  done.  I've  seen  many  die 
of  the  black  vomit,  and  to  my  mind  the  shark's  jaws 
were  a  better  choice.  You  must  harden  yourself  to 
such  sights,  for  we  go  where  worse  awaits  at  the 
best,  and  perhaps  more  than  even  the  strongest  and 
cheeriest  can  endure." 

"True,  sergeant;  and  in  Him  there  is  strength  to 
endure  all  things  as  good  soldiers.  Good  night  and 
needed  rest."  And  soon  only  the  sentinel  and  the 
drowsy  sailor  who  kept  the  anchor  watch  were  left 
upon  the  deck  of  the  little  transport. 


Chapter  XV. 

The     Landing 

The  9th  day  of  March,  at  dawn,  Lieutenant  Wood- 
side  with  his  crew  rowed  away  to  their  new  quarters 
on  board  the  Weymouth,  which  the  day  before, 
with  the  huge  Dunkirk  and  her  satellites,  the  sloops, 
had  carefully  reconnoitred  the  coast  of  Cartagena, 
and  sounded  with  all  their  boats  disposed  en  echelon 
at  a  cable's  length  apart  the  whole  shore  line  of  the 
isle  of  Terra  Bomba,  which  extends  north  and  west 
from  the  old  entrance  of  the  port  called  El  Boca 
Grande  to  El  Boca  Chica,  "the  little  mouth,"  now 
the  only  feasible  entrance  to  the  grand  lagune, 
which  all  ships  must  enter  at  a  good  ten  leagues 
from  the  walls  of  the  city. 

The  Lieutenant  was  treated  as  a  guest  rather  than 
as  on  duty,  but  the  men  viewed  with  ill-concealed 
disgust  the  crowded  quarters  assigned  them,  where 
in  reach  of  their  own  hammocks  hung  many  sick 
men,  who  were  allowed  to  remain  there,  because 
the  sick  bay  was  already  too  full  of  victims  to  that 
scourge  of  the  tropics,  "Yellow  Jack."  Luckily  for 
them  they  soon  received  orders  to  transfer  them 
selves,  with  all  they  might  deem  needful  for  night 
service,  to  their  boat,  and  stowing  their  hammocks 
in  the  nettings  they  seated  themselves  in  their  trim 
craft,  and  soon  saw  the  ships  appointed  for  the  day's 
service  get  under  way  and  stand  up  the  coast,  in 
which  direction  the  greater  moiety  of  the  squadron, 


196  Cartagena 


with  the  exception  of  the  transports,  soon  followed. 

On  the  shore,  they  could  discern  the  cavalry  and 
light  infantry  of  the  Spaniards  passing  along  the 
roads  to  join  in  resisting  any  attempt  to  land  near 
the  city,  which,  strangely  undefended  on  the  sea 
ward  side,  trusted  only  to  the  shoal  quicksands  and 
unceasing  surf  which  broke  for  a  mile  or  more  across 
the  Playa  Grande,  which  ten  years  before  had  been 
a  level  and  sandy  plain,  as  its  name  implies. 

Here  Don  Sebastian  de  Eslava  had  anchored  two 
of  his  largest  men-of-war  just  inside  the  shallow 
boat  entrance  of  El  Boca  Grande;  but  it  was  not  a 
part  of  the  play  to  send  crowded  boats  and  men  with 
cutlass  and  pistol  to  certain  destruction:  so,  leav 
ing  several  vessels  to  blockade  the  inlet,  the  armada 
ran  down  the  sinuous  coast  of  the  Isle  of  Tierra 
Bomba,  which,  at  times  a  mere  neck  of  sandy  emi 
nences,  some  three  or  four  miles  from  the  city,  ex 
panded  into  a  large  island  cut  up  by  ponds  and 
swamps,  and  heavily  wooded  with  the  peculiar  vege 
tation  of  the  tropics. 

Suddenly  the  three  leading  ships,  the  Norfolk, 
Russell  and  Shrewsbury,  were  seen  to  shorten  sail 
and  crawl  in  toward  the  land,  at  a  point  less  than 
a  league  from  the  fortifications  at  the  main  entrance, 
and  from  the  wooded  shores  of  Salmedina  bay  darted 
out  several  puffs  of  white  smoke,  and  the  distant 
thunder  of  several  eighteen-pounders  told  that  the 
real  work  of  the  expedition  had  begun. 

"There's  two  batteries  there  just  built  by  the 
viceroy,"  said  Stephen,  who  had  heard  from  Wood- 
side  some  details  of  the  probable  plan  of  attack. 


The  Landing  197 


"Just  beyond  there,  around  the  point,  the  ships 
would  lie  open  to  the  fire  of  four  or  five  other  forts, 
but,  unless  they  drift  past  it,  will  have  only  a  fascine 
battery  and  the  guns  of  the  Charaba  fort — not  over 
thirty  eighteen-pounders  in  all — to  silence." 

"They  strip  es  prettily  as  boxers  goin'  into  the 
ring,"  said  Coggeshall,  his  heavy  face  lighting  up 
with  the  fire  of  battle.  "There  go  all  the  sails  down 
to  the  courses;  an'  see  how  the  big  Shrewsbury  runs 
close  in  an'  comes  into  the  wind  to  anchor.  Close 
quarters  an'  plenty  of  grape  is  the  word  now,  I'll 
warrant." 

As  he  spoke,  Townsend  in  the  Shrewsbury,  Graves 
in  the  Norfolk,  and  Norris  in  the  Russell,  all  of 
them  eighty-gun  ships  of  the  line,  in  the  order 
named;  running  boldly  in  shore,  close  under  the 
fire  of  the  partially  masked  batteries;  came  to 
anchor,  and  having  first  corrected  by  means  of 
springs  upon  their  cables,  the  tendency  to  swing 
in  shore,  were  the  next  instant  lost  from  view  in  the 
smoke  of  their  own  tremendous  broadsides,  which 
made  the  huge  hulks  quiver,  roll  and  tremble,  until 
the  spars  above  the  hidden  spar-deck  swayed  fo 
and  fro  in  the  ascending  volumes  of  sulphurous 
vapor. 

The  iron  storm  vomited  from  six  score  iron 
throats,  was  seen  to  throw  up  huge  clouds  of  sand, 
dashing  into  the  air  fragments  of  rock  and  the  shat 
tered  tops  and  limbs  of  trees,  but  the  shore  and 
ships  were  soon  so  lost  to  view  that  only  a  few  high 
spars  and  lofty  branches,  swaying  in  the  storm  of 
war,  could  be  distinguished;  for  it  was  high  noon, 


198  Cartagena 


and  the  fresh  sea  breeze  with  which  the  fleet  had 
come  gaily  down  the  coast,  "killed  by  the  cannon 
ade,"  had  died  away,  and  most  of  the  fleet  were 
drifting  along  with  the  westward  current,  until  the 
signal  to  anchor  was  given  and  obeyed. 

But  soon  the  fire  of  the  Spaniards  seemed  to 
slacken,  for  the  tongues  of  red  flame  from  the 
shrouded  shore  grew  strangely  infrequent,  while 
the  fire  of  the  English  ships,  and  the  hoarse,  mad 
cheers  of  her  gunners  came  more  distinct  and  tri 
umphantly  across  the  water,  and  Stephen,  who  had 
been  summoned  on  deck  by  Woodside,  heard 
Captain  Knowles  say  to  his  first  officer,  "The 
first  move  is  ours,  and  with  small  loss  I'll  wager  a 
score  of  sovereigns,  for  the  dons  are  no  lovers  of  so 
close  a  game." 

"I  won't  bet,  thank  ye,"  said  Ashton,  dryly.  "But 
what  the  mischief  is  the  matter  with  Townsend  in 
the  Shrewsbury  yonder?  By  heaven,  they've  cut 
his  cables,  and  he'll  be  under  their  whole  fire  in  less 
than  twenty  minutes." 

"If  he  does  we  can't  help  him  much  except  with 
heavy  loss,  for  there's  no  breeze,  and  we  can  only 
drift  in  under  fire,"  said  Knowles,  anxiously,  "and, 
with  our  part  of  the  squadron  crowded  with  troops, 
it  would  be  murder  to  go  into  action  under  such 
circumstances," 

"Well,  it's  Lestock's  business  to  get  him  out  of 
the  hobble,  but  God  help  his  crew,"  said  Ashton, 
bitterly.  "Look  at  her  now;  there  she  goes  yawing 
and  swinging  clear  of  the  smoke,  and  with  no  more 
steerage-way  than  a  coal  barge  with  a  crew  of 
drunken  colliers." 


The  Landing  199 


Every  glass  in  the  fleet,  and  almost  every  eye,  it 
might  be  said,  was  upon  the  apparently  doomed  ship, 
as  she  drifted  close  to  the  outer  ledges  of  the  promon 
tory  which  alone  intervened  between  her  and  the 
entrance,  along  whose  shore,  bending  to  the  south 
and  west,  lay  first  the  outer  castle  of  St.  Jago,  then 
the  sister  fort  of  St.  Phillip,  and  half  a  cannon  shot 
farther  away  the  great  ramparts  of  Boca  Chica  and 
Fort  St.  Joseph,  guarding  the  floating  boom,  which 
shut  with  huge  logs  and  gigantic  chains,  the  narrow 
entrance.  Beyond  it  the  Spanish  Admiral  Don 
Bias,  in  his  great  warship,  the  Gallicia,  with  the 
Africa,  San  Carlos  and  St.  Phillip,  lay  ranged  along 
the  boom,  with  their  broadsides  sweeping  the  nar 
row  channel,  while  on  the  opposite  shores  of  the 
Island  of  Varu,  several  lesser  batteries  awaited  the 
first  appearance  of  the  Shrewsbury's  hull  from  be 
hind  the  protecting  cape. 

"She's  past  the  ledges  now,"  gasped  Knowles,  his 
face  perfectly  white.  "There  go  the  first  guns  from 
the  Barradera  batteries,  but  he  needn't  mind  them 
if  he  could  only  anchor  in  time.  There,  he  catches 
the  harbor  current!  See  how  fast  he's  sweeping 
up  under  the  guns.  No,  there  she  stops;  he's  got 
another  anchor  down,  but  he's  too  far  out  and  under 
fire  from  all  their  guns.  There!  there  they  rake  him. 
Good  God!  what  a  place  for  a  single  ship." 

"Townsend  is  good  for  it,"  said  Ashton,  with  com 
pressed  lips.  "That  was  a  raking  discharge,  but 
he'll  soon  get  his  guns  to  bear  unless  they've  killed 
his  sailing  master  at  the  first  fire.  See!  his  maintop- 
mast  go  into  splinters.  Why  doesn't  Lestock  signal?" 


200  Cartagena 


As  tliis  conversation  proceeded,  the  Shrewsbury, 
with  her  moorings  cut  by  a  cannon  ball,  had,  as  we 
have  seen,  drifted  by  the  protecting  cape,  opened 
the  harbor,  and,  before  another  anchor  could  be 
bent  and  let  go,  lay  within  close  range  of  the  two 
outer  forts,  and  not  beyond  the  reach  of  the  heavier 
guns  of  the  main  defences  of  the  pass,  and  the  Span 
ish  fleet.  A  tremendous  cannonade  was  opened 
upon  her,  and  as  she  swung  stern-to,  the  raking  fire 
severely  damaged  her  rigging  and  upper  works,  kill 
ing  and  wounding  over  a  score  of  her  crew.  But, 
as  Ashton  had  said,  the  Shrewsbury's  sailing- 
master  was  a  veteran  and  tried  mariner;  and  when 
once  moored,  the  great  ship  was  soon  lying  across 
the  current,  with  her  guns  bearing  upon  the  hostile 
batteries,  and  quickly  the  smoke  of  her  own  fire 
told  friends  as  well  as  foes,  that  the  flags  she  ran 
up  at  every  mast-head  might  be  shot  down,  but 
would  never  be  lowered  while  men  enough  were 
left  to  fight  the  heavy  batteries  below  them.  Her 
fire  opened  with  a  crash,  as  her  men  ran  madly 
to  their  quarters  from  being  shot  down  like  sheep 
at  their  labor  with  capstan  and  windlass;  but  the 
discharges  speedily  became  more  regular,  as  section 
after  section  fired  in  regular  rotation,  showing  that 
Townsend  was  getting  his  men  wrell  in  hand,  and 
making  his  officers  sight  each  gun,  so  as  to  make 
every  shot  tell;  and  later  the  signals  shown  to  the 
admiral  told  that,  although  suffering  heavily,  she 
could  hold  her  own  without  risking  any  of  the  other 
ships  of  the  squadron,  although  several  vessels  got 
out  their  boats  and  kedges,  and  essayed  to  work  to 


The  Landing  201 


a  position  from  which,  if  the  worst  came  to  the 
worst,  they  might  drift  in  and  take  part  in  the  une 
qual  contest. 

"He'll  do,"  said  Knowles,  shutting  his  glass,  "and 
now,  lieutenant,  your  work  is  to  come.  Norris  and 
Graves  have  silenced  yonder  batteries.  Can  you 
reconnoitre  them,  and  see  if  the  Spaniards  have 
really  abandoned  them?" 

"Certainly,  sir ;  shall  we  go  at  once  ?" 

"Yes,  sir;  I  will  send  a  boat  to  the  men-of-war, 
who  will  cease  firing  as  you  near  the  shore,  which 
you  will  do  well  to  the  eastward  of  the  Chamba  fort, 
which  lies  well  out  on  this  side  of  the  Salmedina.  Let 
only  one  man  land,  and  don*t  be  ashamed  to  run  rather 
than  fight,  for  the  troops  won't  be  ready  to  land 
this  two  hours  yet.  But  send  your  best  man;  and, 
by  the  way,  who  is  he?" 

"Well,  sir,  that's  hard  to  say.  Sergeant  Hay  here 
is  good  enough  for  any  service,  and  his  judgment  I 
can  trust  implicitly;  but  his  servant,  yonder  Indian 
in  the  boat,  is  as  lithe  as  an  eel,  as  noiseless  as  a 
serpent,  and,  as  his  Puritan  friends  would  say, 
'would  deceive  the  very  elect;'  being  in  all  things  of 
that  kind  a  scout  equal  to  the  best  of  his  people." 

"Very  well!  Let  the  Indian  lead  by  wading,  and 
reconnoitre  a  little;  then,  if  he  reports  all  safe,  let 
your  sergeant  join  him  and,  if  feasible,  enter  the 
works.  If  they  are  deserted  let  both  report  at  once, 
and  you  will  signal  me  by  means  of  a  weft  which 
the  signal  officer  will  give  you." 

A  few  more  directions  as  to  the  kind  of  signals 
to  be  given  followed,  a  cutter  was  manned,  and  the 


202  Cartagena 


two  boats  darted  off  toward  the  two  eighties,  which 
still  kept  up  a  desultory  fire  upon  the  silent  bat 
teries. 

"Cease  rowing,"  said  Woodside,  as  they  drew  near 
the  Russel,  and,  as  the  Americans  rested  on  their 
oars,  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  cutter,  with  a  wave 
of  his  hand,  kept  on  his  course  and  boarded  the 
man-of-war,  which  soon  after  ceased  firing,  and  a 
few  seconds  later  the  Norfolk  did  the  same,  while 
a  boat  passed  and  repassed  between  them,  after 
which  the  cutter  came  back  to  the  whaler,  now  al 
most  alongside. 

"The  ships  will  re-open  their  fire  in  a  moment,"  the 
officer  said  breathlessly,  "for  they  say  a  few  men  are 
still  to  be  seen  in  the  Chamba  battery;  but  they 
will  use  grape  and  round  shot,  and  under  the  smoke 
you  can  land  unseen.  Make  haste,  for  the  land 
breeze  will  soon  set  in,  and  then  the  smoke  will 
blow  away  almost  as  fast  as  it  is  made." 

"Give  way,  men,"  said  Woodside  quietly,  as  he 
set  the  direction  by  a  pocket  compass  laid  upon 
his  knee.  "There's  the  first  gun ;  we  shall  soon  have 
smoke  enough,"  and  five  minutes  later  they  swept 
under  the  stifling  vapors,  through  which  only  the 
sough  of  the  seas  breaking  upon  the  beach  could 
be  heard,  in  the  intervals  between  the  roar  of  the 
deliberate  and  measured  but  heavy  fire  of  the  ships. 

Suddenly  Untequit  raised  one  hand  and  gave  a 
light  knock  on  the  gunwale  of  the  boat;  Woodside  as 
suddenly  motioned  to  ease  rowing,  and  bent  forward 
as  if  inquiring  the  Indian's  purpose. 

"  7Tis  only  that  we  are  a  little  out  of  our  course," 


The  Landing  203 


said  Stephen,  pointing  eastward.  "The  current  is 
strong  and  we  are  inside  the  point.  If  we  keep 
her  up  a  couple  of  points,  we  can  land  when  we  hear 
the  sea  on  the  ledges." 

"Do  so,"  said  Woodside  quietly;  and  in  a  short 
time  he  saw  the  outlines  of  the  shore  and  found 
himself  a  boat's  length  from  a  sheltered  nook,  where 
no  great  danger  of  ambuscade  or  accident  from  the 
seas  seemed  possible.  Stephen  laid  the  boat's  head 
to  the  waves,  and  Jones,  who  took  the  bow  oar, 
threw  over  the  grapnel  and  paid  out  the  line  until 
the  stern  lay  scarce  three  yards  from  an  isolated 
boulder,  the  first  of  a  line  of  several  extending  into 
the  sea  and  occasionally  submerged  by  a  wave  larger 
than  usual. 

Untequit  had  already  laid  aside  his  heavy  gaiters, 
and  catching  up  his  piece,  brought  her  to  the  trail, 
and  awaiting  a  lull  in  the  seas,  motioned  to  Hay  to 
swing  the  boat  near  the  rocks;  then  stepping  upon 
the  covered  stern  leaped  from  his  precarious  footing 
to  the  slippery  ledge,  and  thence  from  rock  to  rock 
until  he  stood  safely  upon  the  strand.  Then  stealth 
ily  following  the  base  of  the  cliff,  he  ascended  by 
a  series  of  crumbling  ledges  and  disappeared  from 
view. 

Fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  later  the  firing  had 
ceased,  and  soon  after  Untequit  came  back  breath 
less  with  the  information  that  the  fascine  battery 
was  empty,  and  that  in  Chamba  there  were  only 
some  wounded  men  and  one  or  two  friends  who  had 
refused  to  desert  them ;  and  that  although  he  had  fol 
lowed  the  trail  of  the  fugitives  to  the  edge  of  the 


204  Cartagena 


woods  he  had  seen  no  one  else;  and  as  the  smoke 
still  hung  heavily  and  the  signals  could  not  be  seen, 
Untequit  came  on  board,  and  the  party  returned  on 
board  the  Weymouth. 

Captain  Knowles  was  much  pleased  with  the  re 
port,  and  complimented  Woodside  and  his  crew 
highly,  giving  each  man  a  Spanish  dollar,  and  what, 
perhaps,  they  valued  even  more,  an  order  on  the  pur 
ser  for  an  extra  ration  of  rum,  after  which  they  were 
given  their  dinner,  consisting  of  the  regular  navy 
rations  of  hard  ship's  bread,  beef,  and  pork;  which, 
owing  to  the  inefficiency  of  the  commissariat  depart 
ment,  wrere  the  worst  of  their  kind,  the  bread  being 
alive  with  worms  and  maggots,  and  the  meat  tainted 
and  salt  as  brine. 

"  'Tis  a  pity  we  couldn't  have  foraged  a  little," 
said  Jones,  dolefully.  "I'm  thinking  we  shall  miss 
the  old  schooner  an'  her  cook,  boys,  arter  this." 

"Don't  grumble,  Jones,"  said  Hay,  sharply.  "This 
ship  is  as  well  found  as  any,  and  the  Shrewsbury's 
crew  would  like  time  and  leisure  to  eat  even  this, 
if  they  were  out  of  their  death  trap,  I  reckon." 

"Well  said,  mate,"  said  a  burly  topman  who  sat 
near  them,  with  his  clasp-knife,  kid  and  tin  can, 
eating  heartily.  "Th'o  I  must  say  'tis  no  wonder 
that  yon  Yankee  grumbles,  for  rations  so  bad  I  never 
zee,  an' t'  drink  be  as  bad  as  the  'atin'.  Try  un,  man." 

Stephen  placed  his  lips  to  the  can,  but  barely 
managed  to  swallow  a  few  drops  of  the  fiery  spirit, 
which,  half  diluted  with  water,  and  neither  sweet 
ened  nor  mixed  with  lime  juice,  formed  a  draught 
nauseous  enough  to  disgust  the  most  confirmed 
lover  of  spirits. 


The  Landing  205 


"What  is  it,  shipmate?"  asked  Stephen,  curiously. 

The  fellow  roared  heartily.  "'Needcessity'  they  do 
call  it,  zur,"  he  chuckled,  "an'  sure  enough,  'tis 
ayther  this  or  nothin',  for  about  three  half  pints  o' 
water  is  all  they  gives  us  beside  the  grog,  although 
we  filled  ivry  cask  an'  bar'l  at  Jamaiky." 

"Well !  well !  let's  go  on  deck,"  was  all  that  Stephen 
could  say,  and  the  party  hastened  to  leave  the 
greater  part  of  their  viands  behind  them,  and  went 
up  to  see  what  else  should  come  of  the  day's  nd  ven 
tures. 

To  the  northward  the  fight  was  ovor,  for  the  land 
breeze  had  sprung  up,  and  the  Shrewsbury,  slipping 
her  cables,  was  standing  out  to  sea  from  the  terribly 
exposed  condition,  in  which  for  nearly  three  hours 
she  had  been  fought  with  consummate  skill  and 
bravery.  Over  a  score  of  brave  fellows  lay  dead 
along  her  larboard  gangway,  and  forty  others  had 
been  wounded.  Her  lower  masts  were  pitted  with 
shot,  and  her  rigging  and  canvas  hung  in  ribbons; 
but  she  had  several  times  almost  silenced  the  fire 
of  St.  Jago  and  St.  Phillip,  and  their  gunners  were 
scarcely  sorry  to  see  so  stubborn  an  antagonist  draw 
out  of  range. 

On  the  Russell  and  Norfolk  the  loss  was  much 
smaller,  numbering  only  some  half  dozen  slain  out 
right  and  fifteen  or  sixteen  wounded  on  both  ships, 
for  their  fire  was  so  heavy,  and  delivered  at  such 
close  quarters,  that  most  of  the  guns  were  deserted 
by  the  Spaniards  after  one  or  two  discharges.  And 
now  the  crews  lay  at  quarters,  resting  after  their 
herculean  labors,  their  canvas  kilts,  bare  arms, 


206  Cartagena 


breasts  and  faces  black  with  powder,  and  flecked 
with  tar  and  blood,  and  nearly  all  in  that  deep,  al 
most  death-like  sleep,  which  follows  excessive  ex 
citement  and  exhausting  labors. 

"  'Tis  time  that  the  troops  were  ready  for  land 
ing,"  said  Knowles,  impatiently.  "Unless  we  soon 
make  a  move  the  Spaniards  will  take  heart,  re- 
occupy  Cliamba,  and  send  Norris  and  Graves  to  their 
guns  again.'' 

"Lestock  is  slow  at  any  time,"  said  Ashton,  "but 
the  wind  is  baffling,  and  the  Stromboli  ketch  is  six 
or  eight  miles  to  leeward,  and  Wynyard,  with  a  part 
of  his  grenadiers,  went  on  board  her  this  morn 
ing,  as  I  sawr  myself.  But  there's  the  signal  to  land 
the  troops;  luckily  for  us  we  haven't  any  of  the 
clumsy  cattle  on  board." 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Woodside,"  he  added 
quickly,  as  he  noted  the  quick  flush  that  mounted 
to  the  temples  of  the  other.  "I  don't  mean  your  colo 
nists,  who  are  as  amphibious  as  seals.  But  those 
redcoats  are  all  under  foot  in  a  seaway,  and  in  a 
boat — "  and  he  ended  with  an  expression  of  utter 
disgust  which  need  not  here  be  written. 

"No  offense,  Mr.  Ashton,"  said  Woodside  with  a 
smile.  "I  hope,  Captain  I^nowles,  that  we  may  join 
the  landing  parly.  We  can  move  more  quickly  than 
the  regulars,  and  will  come  off  in  the  morning  if  you 
wish  it." 

Knowles  hesitated  a  moment.  "You  can  go,"  he 
said  at  length,  "but  I  can't  spare  you  later  than  at 
noon  to-morrow,  for  I've  no  doubt  it  will  take  us 
until  then  to  land  the  troops  in  this  division.  Mr. 


The  Landing  207 


Ashton,  see  that  the  watch  take  in  a  little  more  on 
that  spring,  our  battery  may  be  wanted.  Be  pru 
dent,  Woodside,  for  I  have  need  of  you." 

Taking  their  arms,  blankets  and  a  supply  of  food 
and  ammunition,  the  Americans  started  in  their 
light  craft  with  the  heavier  flotilla  of  ships'  boats 
which,  laden  to  the  gunwale  with  their  own  crews 
and  the  starched  and  stiff  but  athletic  men  of  the 
British  infantry,  moved  slowly  and  heavily  through 
the  water,  in  spite  of  the  regular,  powerful  strokes 
of  the  men-of-war's  men. 

From  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  landing,  who 
occupied  a  position  on  the  flank  of  the  flotilla,  Wood- 
side  got  permission  to  precede  the  boats  and  test 
the  practicability  of  landing  in  safety  and  without 
opposition. 

It  was  now  between  five  aad  six  o'clock,  and  the 
land  breeze  had  toned  dowTn  the  sea  until,  almost  un 
ruffled,  it  lapped  gently  on  the  sandy  beach  of  the 
nearly  semi-circular  Bay  of  Salmedina;  and  indeed 
it  appeared  that  the  heavyjsurf  which  protected  the 
Cartagena  shore,  was  seldom  found  to  prevail  farther 
to  the  north  and  west. 

Without  waiting  for  farther  orders,  and  merely 
steering  a  little  to  the  eastward  of  the  batteries, 
Woodside  laid  the  boat  on  a  sandy  beach,  and 
Stephen  and  Untequit  jumping  overboard,  ran 
quickly  up  the  beach  until  they  gained  the  cover 
of  the  woods,  through  which  they  scouted  carefully 
but  quickly  until  assured  that  only  the  dead  and 
wounded  were  left  to  dispute  the  possession  of  the 
batteries  with  the  English  soldiery.  Returning  they 


208  Cartagena 


beckoned  to  their  companions,  who  lay  on  their  oars 
just  outside  the  line  of  breaking  sea,  and  running 
in  they  beached  their  boat,  leaping  into  the  water 
and  running  her  up  just  clear  of  danger  from  the  sea. 

The  main  flotilla  was  now  close  at  hand,  and 
several  of  the  boats  seeing  that  no  harm  had  come 
to  the  whaler's  crew,  followed  their  example,  the 
sailors  bending  sharply  to  their  oars,  and  the  men 
cheering  lustily,  and  in  as  many  moments  no  less 
than  half  a  dozen  boats  had  landed  their  quota  of 
grenadiers,  who  promptly  fell  in,  opened  their  pouches 
and  were  lighting  their  matches  and  slinging  their 
muskets,  when  the  officer  in  charge  appeared  and 
angrily  ordered  them  to  re-embark  at  once  in  spite 
of  all  expostulation. 

"Col.  Wynyard  is  not  here,  and  we  have  not  over 
four  hundred  men  to  hold  the  batteries  in  case  of 
an  attack.  I  won't  take  the  responsibility,  sir.  I 
tell  you  I  won't  take  it.  Ke-embark  your  men  at 
once,  and  keep  outside  the  surf  until  the  rest  of  the 
battalion  comes  to  join  us,"  and  despite  the  evident 
disgust  of  the  naval  officers,  and  the  remonstrances 
of  his  own  comrades,  the  fussy  little  major  had  his 
own  way  in  the  matter;  and  after  much  lifting,  tug 
ging,  profanity  and  wetting  of  clothing  and  arms, 
the  stranded  boats  rejoined  the  rest,  and  the  flotilla 
lay  on  their  oars  in  a  close  body  within  easy  reach 
of  the  guns  of  the  deserted  battery. 

Woodside  turned  to  his  crew.  "Well,  boys,  we  at 
least  are  not  under  his  orders,  and  it  seems  to  me 
that  we  can  do  no  better  than  to  watch  that  no  force 
takes  advantage  of  this  blunder,  to  give  yonder  poor 


The  Landing  209 


fellows  a  volley  of  grape  or  musketry  from  the  bat 
tery  or  these  thickets  of  underbrush.  Can  we  keep 
guard,  Hay,  with  our  boat's  crew  over  the  ap 
proaches?" 

Untequit  raised  his  head  as  if  to  answer,  and 
Stephen  checking  himself  made  an  almost  impercep 
tible  motion  of  acquiescence.  "Why  not,  sir?  The 
woods  are  thick  and  plenty  of  thorns.  There  are 
only  two  roads  and  a  path.  Three  men  are  enough; 
the  rest  can  stay  in  the  boat." 

"Let  us  two  and  Coggeshall  go,"  said  Stephen. 
"We  will  help  you  launch  the  boat,  and  you  can 
fish,  for  there  are  lines  in  the  lockers  and  a  rind 
of  pork  will  do  for  bait  until  you  get  a  grouper  or 
parrot-fish.  In  a  couple  of  hours  the  troops  will 
be  ready,  and  we  can  come  down  and  join  you." 

"Well  said!"  cried  the  lieutenant.  "Come,  boys, 
off  with  the  boat  Of  course  you  will  not  fire  except 
in  the  last  resort,  for  an  alarm  might  spoil  all  if  it 
was  causeless." 

While  they  were  speaking  the  boat  had  been 
righted,  and  the  united  crews  easily  ran  her  down 
the  sloping  beach  after  a  retreating  wave.  Wood- 
side  and  his  three  men  pushed  off,  and  twenty  min 
utes  later  rode  easily  at  anchor  outside  the  line  of 
breakers,  fishing  with  a  success  which  promised 
them  a  toothsome  repast,  when  the  slow-moving 
disembarking  force  should  take  possession. 

Meanwhile,  the  three  scouts  entered  the  woods 
and,  having  looked  carefully  to  their  weapons,  tra 
versed  the  inner  boundaries  of  the  cleared  space  in 
which  the  works  stood,  and  found,  as  the  Indian  had 


210  Cartagena 


said,  that  there  were  but  three  approaches  through 
the  almost  impenetrable  forest,  and  also  that  the 
Spaniards  had  left  in  great  haste ;  for  several  of  their 
dead  and  wounded  lay  near  the  inner  battery,  and 
one  young  fellow  lay  groaning  in  the  very  entrance 
of  the  covered  way  to  Boca  Chica. 

Stephen  stopped  and  bent  over  him.  A  grape 
shot  had  shattered  his  elbow,  he  was  evidently  deliri 
ous,  and  an  occasional  moan  of  agua!  agua!  told  of 
the  thirst  which  consumed  him. 

Silently  they  raised  him  and  drew  him  to  the 
edge  of  the  clearing,  where  no  harm  could  come  to 
him  in  case  of  a  night  attack,  and  Stephen  held  to 
his  lips  his  own  canteen,  motioning  to  Coggeshall 
to  pour  a  little  from  his  into  a  jetty  oxhorn,  mounted 
with  silver,  that  hung  by  the  Creole's  side.  The 
sheath  at  his  side  was  empty,  but  the  pistols  at  his 
belt  were  loaded,  and,  taking  them,  Hay  gave  one  to 
the  ex-privateer,  retaining  the  other  for  himself. 

"Untequit,  you  will  take  the  woodpath  leading 
inland,  follow  it  a  short  distance,  and  if  you  come 
to  an  opening  take  your  stand  there.  Coggeshall, 
you  will  go  toward  the  city  an  hundred  yards  or 
more  until  you  can  find  clear  space,  and  I  will  follow 
down  this  road  toward  the  castles.  Keep  quiet,  and 
don't  fire,  except  in  the  last  extremity.  Stay,  give 
me  a  strip  of  this  poor  fellow's  kerchief,  or  he  will 
bleed  to  death." 

Quickly  he  extemporized  a  rude  tourniquet,  which 
he  applied  and  secured  with  a  short  stick,  and  then 
turning  to  his  companions,  motioned  to  them  to  be 
gone.  The  Indian  glided  into  the  shadow  of  the 


The  Landing  211 


dusky  thickets  like  a  spectre,  and  the  privateers- 
nian  followed  as  quickly,  if  less  silently  than  his 
companion;  and  as  they  were  lost  to  view,  Hay 
caught  up  his  musket,  loosened  his  Spanish  knife 
in  its  sheath,  and,  despite  his  weight  and  stature, 
moved  noiselessly  down  the  darkening  wood-path, 
over  which,  scarce  three  hours  before,  the  retreating 
enemy  had  hurried. 

Pausing  at  every  turn  and  angle,  scanning  closely 
every  jagged  stump  and  ragged  boulder,  distorted 
by  the  twilight,  he,  nevertheless,  soon  saw  before 
him  an  opening,  through  which  he  could  catch  a 
glimpse  of  evening  sky,  still  faintly  tinted  with  the 
last  rays  of  the  sunset. 

Before  him  lay  a  broad  lagoon,  and  between  him 
and  its  waters  were  the  castles  of  Tierra  Bomba, 
which  guarded  the  nearer  bank  of  the  narrow  and 
tortuous  channel  of  Boca  Chica.  But  nearer  still, 
in  truth  scarce  half  a  musket  shot  away,  he  caught 
the  gleam  of  a  bayonet  above  the  scattered  bushes 
beyond  the  edge  of  the  forest,  and  saw  that  he  was 
close  to  the  advanced  pickets  of  the  enemy. 

Still,  he  desired  to  see  more,  and,  passing  through 
a  side  path,  he  stole  along  on  his  hands  and  knees, 
and,  peering  through  the  bushes,  saw  that  a  second 
sentinel  stood  between  him  and  the  castle — or, 
rather,  battery — of  St.  Jago,  which  lay  nearly  half 
a  mile  away,  and,  between  it  and  the  pickets,  at  their 
bivouac  fire,  the  reserve  guard  of  some  fifty  men 
were  grouped ;  but  he  saw  nowhere  any  signs  of  any 
intention  to  reoccupy  the  southern  batteries  or  con 
test  a  landing. 


212  Cartagena 


As  noiselessly  as  he  had  come,  he  returned,  leav 
ing  the  sentinels,  who  laughed,  chatted  and  cursed 
alternately,  as  they  met  at  the  end  of  their  beats, 
totally  unconscious  of  the  fact  that  within  pistol- 
shot  of  their  posts  had  lurked  the  first  of  the  in 
vaders,  who  had  that  day  won  the  first  move  in  the 
great  game  of  war,  and  were  even  now  taking  pos 
session  of  the  captured  forts  of  Salmedina. 

For,  as  he  hastened  back  over  the  winding, 
covered  way,  he  heard  the  cheers  of  the  troops  as 
they  entered  the  batteries,  and  met  at  the  entrance 
of  the  road  a  guard  on  the  way  to  picket  the  ap 
proaches,  accompanied  by  Untequit,  who  had  been 
called  back  from  a  fruitless  watch  by  the  noise  of 
the  disembarkation. 

By  midnight  the  grenadiers  were  all  landed, 
and  to  the  number  of  about  eight  hundred  were 
bivouacked  in  the  clearing,  rejoicing  in  their  success 
and  the  pleasure  of  once  more  standing  on  terra 
firma;  and  their  fires  lit  up  the  dark  woods  and  the 
dusky  outlines  of  the  forts,  where  the  engineers 
labored  until  late  into  the  night  in  pointing  a  part 
of  the  guns  to  sweep  the  land  approaches  with  grape 
and  bags  of  musket  balls,  and  setting  palisades  to 
strengthen  the  feeble  defences  in  rear  of  the  works. 

Hastening  down  to  the  shore,  they  found  their 
whaleboat  carefully  drawn  up  to  the  edge  of  the 
woods,  and  under  a  ledge  their  friends  were  grouped 
around  a  fire,  intently  engaged  in  discussing  a  sup 
per  of  fish,  cooked  after  a  way  learned  by  Jones 
during  a  short  sojourn  amid  the  fishermen  of  the 
lower  Potomac. 


The  Landing  213 


Against  the  rocks,  and  suspended  to  them  by  pins 
of  wood  set  into  the  crevices,  the  fish,  nicely  split 
and  washed,  were  suspended,  and  exposed  to  the 
heat  of  a  bed  of  coals ;  and  from  time  to  time,  with 
a  sharp  stick,  the  presiding  genius  of  the  feast  re 
versed  the  position  of  the  fish  until  equally  cooked. 
They  wrere  then  taken  down  and  laid  on  some  broad 
leaves  gathered  near  by. 

"You  are  just  in  time,"  said  Woodside,  heartily, 
"and  no  doubt  you  are  hungry  enough  by  this  time. 
But,  fall  to,  for  those  fish  are  tempting  enough  for 
an  epicure." 

"They  ain't  jest  what  they  might  be,"  said  Jones, 
hesitatingly,  "fer  we  used  to  hev'  oak  planks  about 
two  inches  through,  an'  we  could  turn  'em  better 
an'  oftener.  But  anythin'  is  better  then  such  stuff 
as  we  hev'  to  eat  yender." 

The  fish  were  indeed  delicious,  and  for  some  mo 
ments  little  was  said,  until  a  bright  flash  and  heavy 
roar  to  seawrard  brought  the  whole  party  to  their 
feet,  but  they  reseated  themselves  as  they  saw  that 
several  small  vessels  were  closing  in  under  the  cape, 
by  which  the  Shrewsbury  had  drifted  under  the  fire 
of  the  castles. 

"  'Tis  the  bomb  ketches  getting  to  work  on  the 
batteries,"  said  Woodside.  "The  Stromboli  an 
chored  there  before  landing  the  grenadiers,  and 
she'll  give  the  Spaniards  in  Boca  Chica  little  chance 
of  sleeping  on  guard  after  this,  for  the  thirteen-inch 
shells  from  her  mortars  are  terrible  things  when 
they  drop  in  the  right  place." 

Another  burst  of  vivid  flame  lit  up  for  a  moment 


214  Cartagena 


the  distant  cliffs.  Another  thunderous  report  rolled 
across  sea  and  forest  and  jarred  the  very  earth,  and 
a  hissing,  coruscating  point  of  light  ascended  high  in 
the  heavens,  rushed  down  in  a  swift  parabolic  curve, 
and  ended  in  midair  with  a  crashing  explosion 
which  sent  the  ponderous  missile  to  earth  in  a  cloud 
of  jagged  fragments. 

"  'Twill  go  hard  with  the  dons  if  they  don't  keep 
under  cover,"  said  Stephen,  as  two  more  heavy  ex 
plosions  burst  out  almost  simultaneously.  "The 
Etna  and  Basilisk  are  at  it,  and  they  say  that  Cap 
tain  Knowles  calculated  the  ranges  and  charges 
himself." 

"There's  an  answer  from  the  Spaniards  at  last," 
cried  Jones,  as  a  large  shell  suddenly  exploded  near 
one  of  the  frigates  outside  the  line  of  bomb 
ketches.  "I  reckon  we  shall  git  it  ourselves  afore 
mornin',  fer  they  know  the  distance  to  an  inch." 

Even  as  he  spoke,  a  swiftly  moving  speck  shot  up 
into  the  heavens  above  the  forest,  rushed  down 
toward  the  batteries  and  exploded,  as-  Stephen 
judged,  near  the  boundaries  of  the  cleared  space. 

There  was  a  terrified  rush  among  s^ome  of  the 
troops  who  were  moving  idly  about,  but  when  an 
other  came  even  closer,  the  order  to  "fall  in"  was 
sounded,  and  the  men  moved  into  a  position  aside 
from  the  line  of  fire. 

"The  bear  is  hunting  the  hunter,"  laughed  Wood- 
side  coolly,  "and  after  this  we  shall  have  sterner 
work  than  before;  but  we  shall  have  good  cover 
here,  and  we  had  best  haul  our  boat  under  yonder 
cliff  and  sleep  beside  her.  Look  well  to  your  arms 


The  Landing  215 


and  make  a  better  fire,  for  the  night  fogs  and  mos 
quitoes  will  trouble  us  the  less  if  we  keep  up  a  little 
blaze  until  morning." 

Stephen  started  to  his  feet.  "We've  forgotten  the 
wounded  Spaniard,"  he  said,  and  catching  up  a 
brand  he  hurried  up  the  bank  and  across  the  clear 
ing  toward  the  entrance  of  the  covered  way,  and 
Untequit  and  Coggeshall  following  more  slowly, 
came  up  just  in  time  to  find  their  comrade  arrested 
in  his  errand  by  the  guard,  posted  to  keep  men  from 
that  part  of  the  clearing  invaded  by  the  enemy's 
shells. 

"It  won't  do,  sirrah,"  cried  the  officer  in  charge, 
who  happened  to  be  on  his  rounds,  and  came  up 
promptly  to  see  who  was  parleying  with  his  senti 
nels.  "Damme  me  if  you  Americans  have  any  more 
idea  of  discipline  than  so  many  sheep.  Go  back  at 
once  to  your  command,  if  you  have  one,  or  if  not, 
let  me  find  you  at  the  fascine  battery  to-morrow 
morning." 

Stephen  waited  quietly  and  then  said,  "I  was 
wrong,  sir,  I  see,  not  to  wait  for  orders,  but  we  are 
a  part  of  the  crew  of  the  whaleboat,  and  when  we 
scouted  through  here,  we  found  a  wounded  officer 
out  yonder  and  forgot  him,  until  the  shells  began 
to  come  this  way,  and  we  thought — " 

"Bless  my  soul!  yes,  sir;  of  course,  sir!  and  very 
creditable  to  you,  sir.  Go  out  at  once,  and  bring 
him  into  the  Chamba  battery.  Here,  John,"  he 
added,  turning  to  his  orderly,  "take  your  lantern 
and  go  with  them,  but  keep  a  good  look-out  for  the 
shells." 


216  Cartagena 


The  sentry  shouldered  his  musket  and  recom 
menced  his  regular  and  measured  walk,  while  the 
four  hastened  toward  the  gloomy  wall  of  black, 
where  the  tropical  forest  was  at  times  disclosed  by 
the  sudden  meteor  flashes  of  the  bombs,  which, 
while  evidently  true  to  a  well-calculated  range,  were 
fortunately  propelled  by  too  little  powder  to  invade 
the  quarters  of  the  men  in  and  around  the  fort. 

But  every  step  the  party  took  drew  them  closer 
to  the  forest,  on  whose  verge  the  crashing  of  tree- 
tops  and  the  downward  rush  of  huge  palm-leaves, 
cut  off  by  the  breaking  missiles,  told  that  their  er 
rand  of  mercy  might  well  cost  some  of  them  limb  or 
life. 

"We  must  get  to  him,"  said  Stephen,  firmly. 
"Give  me  the  lantern,  and  I  will  go  in  alone.  I  can 
make  shift  to  bring  him  out,  I  think,  for  he  was  a 
mere  boy,  and  of  slight  build  at  that." 

"Heavens!"  ejaculated  Coggeshall,  as  a  huge  shell 
burst  just  over  the  top  of  a  tall  tree,  which  for  an 
instant  seemed  to  be  the  centre  of  a  flash  of  light 
ning.  "We  rested  his  head  ag'in  the  root  o'  that  very 
tree;  an'  I'd  bet  anything  thet  their  mortars  are  laid 
by  it,  fer  its  top  is  nearly  es  high  ag'in  es  the  trees 
around  it." 

"Keep  to  the  left,  and  under  cover  of  the  trees," 
said  Stephen ;  and  at  full  speed  they  rushed  in  under 
the  shelter  of  the  thick  coppice,  and  at  last  stood, 
tired  and  panting,  by  the  side  of  the  Spaniard,  who 
lay  with  his  face  to  the  earth  a  little  way  from  the 
oak. 

"He  has  fainted,"  said  Hay;  "get  him  behind  the 


The  Landing  217 


tree  before  another  shell  comes."  And,  raising  him, 
they  drew  him  behind  the  spreading  bole,  while  the 
Englishman  held  up  his  lantern  until  its  rays  fell 
upon  the  motionless  face. 

"He's  dead,"  said  Coggeshall,  as  he  pointed  to 
the  half-closed  eyes  and  fallen  jaw.  "We've  come 
too  late  to  save  him." 

Stephen  hastily  opened  the  breast  of  the  gay  vel 
vet  doublet,  and  placed  his  hand  over  the  region  of 
the  heart.  "It  can't  be,"  he  said,  "for  the  bandages 
have  not  loosened,  and  the  loss  of  an  arm  is  a  com 
mon  chance  of  war."  Suddenly,  however,  he  with 
drew  his  hand  and  shook  it  as  if  in  disgust  and  hor 
ror;  then  threw  open  the  stiffened  garment  and  held 
the  lantern  close  to  the  body.  A  deep,  contused 
wound,  which  might  be  the  work  of  either  bullet 
or  poinard,  had  pierced  to  the  very  heart. 

"The  man  hes  been  murdered,"  said  Coggeshall 
in  a  strident  whisper,  "an'  by  no  British  hand,  I'll 
be  bound.  There's  be'n  devilish  work  done  here 
sence  we  stood  here  over  him,  an'  not  fer  gold  either 
I  consait,  fer  that  ring  is  on  his  han's,  an'  yonder 
chain  round  his  neck  is  wo'th  mor'n  one  doubloon, 
I  reckon.  Good  God!  thet  was  close." 

Over  their  heads  a  tremendous  explosion  deafen 
ing,  blinding,  suffocating,  filled  the  air  with  frag 
ments  of  iron  and  masses  of  shattered  wood,  and 
all  four  lay  for  a  moment  half-stunned  beside  the 
dead. 

One  by  one,  however,  they  .all  rose  to  their  feet 
except  Untequit,  who  seemed  insensible,  and  as  the 
lantern  was  still  fortunately  alight,  Stephen  seized 


218  Cartagena 


it  and  bent  in  much  anxiety  over  his  faithful  com 
rade.  But  he  quickly  revived,  and  after  one  or  two 
futile  efforts  sat  up  and  looked  in  a  dazed  way 
around  him.  "It's  all  right,"  he  said;  "a  Branch 
struck  me  and  I  feel  a  little  sore  and  out  of  breath, 
but  I  shall  be  better  soon.  Here's  a  knife,  though," 
he  continued,  "I  found  it  in  getting  up." 

As  he  spoke,  he  gave  into  the  sergeant's  hands  a 
short  but  polished  poniard  with  a  nearly  round  but 
slightly  fluted  blade,  still  stained  with  a  drop  or 
two  or  red  blood,  which  encrimsoned  a  hilt  of  rare 
workmanship,  such  as  Italian  artists  alone  have  been 
wont  to  expend  on  weapons  of  this  nature.  The 
gripe  and  guard  were  of  silver  in  the  form  of  a 
Medusa,  whose  feet  were  encircled  by  the  coils  of 
a  huge  serpent,  and  while  small  rubies  formed  the 
eyes  of  the  boa,  the  cold  glitter  of  a  brace  of  emer 
alds  set  with  consummate  art  gave  to  the  tiny  statue 
a  weird  and  strangely  malign  effect. 

"  'Tis  the  very  weapon,"  said  Coggeshall,  as  he 
pointed  out  on  the  edges  of  the  wound  the  peculiar 
creases  of  the  fluted  blade.  "But  this  is  no  place 
for  us.  Let  us  take  him  to  the  camp  an'  give  him 
burial.  Mayhap  we  may  learn  his  name  an'  help  to 
avenge  him." 

An  hour  later,  after  removing  from  the  body 
such  articles  as  were  of  value  or  might  help  in 
identifying  the  dead,  the  young  Spaniard  was  buried 
in  the  ditch  of  the  fascine  battery,  under  the  orders 
of  the  old  major,  to  whose  servant  was  given  the 
purse  Of  the  deceased.  Lieut.  Wood  side  received  the 
chain,  rings  and  other  valuables,  with  orders  to 


The  Landing  219 


hold  them,  until  such  time  as  the  chances  of  the 
siege,  should  give  him  the  opportunity  of  ascertaining 
the  name  and  rank  of  the  dead  and  communicating 
with  his  friends.  In  default  of  this,  they  were  to  be 
sold,  and  their  value  divided  among  the  crew  of  the 
whaleboat,  according  to  the  customs  of  that  period. 

Hay  and  Coggeshall  retained  the  pistols  they  had 
taken,  but  they  bore  only  the  unmeaning  but  costly 
and  elegant  inlaid  work  of  that  period,  except  that 
under  the  trigger-guard  of  each,  a  close  inspection 
revealed  a  rude  "H"  burned  into  the  rosewood  of 
the  stock. 

"The  face  was  not  altogether  Spanish,"  said  honest 
Jack  Coggeshall;  and  Stephen  felt  a  thrill  of 
strangely  blended  wonder  and  fear,  as  he  drew  from 
his  pouch  the  gift  of  the  old  buccaneer,  and  com 
pared  the  workmanship  of  the  serpent  ring  with 
the  scaly  coils  that  supported  the  emerald-eyed 
Medusa. 


Chapter  XVI. 
Blazing  a  Path 

Before  daylight,  Woodside  awoke  his  men,  and 
announced  to  them  the  landing  of  nearly  all  the 
regulars,  and  the  occupation  without  farther  blood 
shed  of  the  two  small  forts  of  St.  Jago  and  St.  Phil 
lip.  "We  must  be  on  board  the  Weymouth  by  to 
day  at  noon,"  he  said ;  "but  the  engineers  are  talking 
of  cutting  a  way  across  the  island  to  the  lagoon,  and 
have  asked  me  to  get  you,  who  are  used  to  forestry, 
to  explore  the  line  to  be  followed." 

"There  is  your  man,"  said  Stephen,  pointing  to 
Jones,  who  was  busily  engaged  in  devouring  some 
remnants  of  last  night's  supper.  "He  has  stepped 
out  more  patents  than  any  man  in  the  brigade,  and 
just  give  him  a  pocket  compass  and  the  course,  and 
a  surveyor  with  all  his  instruments  won't  be  able 
to  do  a  great  deal  in  the  way  of  straightening  his 
blaze." 

"Well,  you  shall  do  as  you  please  about  volunteer 
ing  for  this  job,"  said  the  officer  kindly.  "We  have 
done  what  was  asked  of  us  in  reconnoitring  the 
forts,  and  you  may  rest  here  until  it  is  time  to  go  on 
board,  or  take  up  this  new  duty;  but  I  confess  I 
should  like  to  see  more  of  the  land  hereabouts,  and, 
if  possible,  something  of  the  lagoon  yonder." 

"Besides,  there  might  be  a  chance  to  get  some 
information  or  capture  a  picket  of  the  enemy,"  said 
Stephen  eagerly. 


Blazing  a  Path  221 


"I'll  venture  to  say  thet  we'll  git  some  fruit,  an' 
perhaps  some  game,"  suggested  Jones,  who  de 
spaired  of  another  mess  of  fish. 

"I'm  agreed,"  said  Coggeshall  thoughtfully;  "ef 
'tain't  too  far,  we  may  hev'  to  drag  our  boats  acrost, 
an'  come  in  back  of  them  batteries." 

"What  do  you  say,  Gibbs?"  asked  Coggeshall  of 
the  Falruouth  whaler,  who  sat  smoking  deliberately 
by  the  side  of  the  boat. 

"Why,  I  ain't  particular,  sir,  whether  I  go  or  stay. 
Somebody  ought  to  stay  with  the  boat,  an'  I  jest 
as  lieves  stay  as  not.  Ef  you  want  me  to  go,  I'm 
here,  an'  ready  to  chop  brush,  forage  for  bananas, 
or  fight  Spaniards,  jest  as  it  happens." 

Woodside  laughed  heartily:  "You  ought  to  be 
a  regular,  Gibbs,  you're  so  ready  to  obey  orders. 
However,  you're  right,  and,  if  you  will,  shall  be  ap 
pointed  guard  over  our  boat  and  stuff.  Hay,  take 
a  man  and  go  to  the  new  battery  for  some  axes;  you 
will  find  a  lot  among  the  intrenching  tools.  Four 
will  do,  for  I'm  not  used  to  wood-chopping,  and  my 
sword  is  a  true  Ferrara,  and  will  cut  underbrush 
with  any  machete  that  a  Spaniard  ever  wore  on 
thigh." 

Half  an  hour  later,  just  as  the  first  rosy  gleam 
tinged  the  eastern  sea,  Hay  and  Jones  returned  with 
two  axes,  a  hatchet,  and  a  pair  of  heavy,  horn-hafted 
machetes,  which,  as  our  readers  may  not  know,  we 
will  describe  as  short,  very  broad-bladed  cutlasses 
without  hilts,  much  used  in  the  Spanish  and  Mexi 
can  territories,  and  generally  worn  in  a  leathern 
sheath  at  the  side. 


222  Cartagena 


Coggeshall  had  already  chosen  the  heaviest 
machete.  Stephen  and  Untequit  took  Avith  ill-con 
cealed  contempt  the  broad-bladed,  clumsy,  straight- 
handled  Spanish  axes.  Jones  poised  the  short- 
handled  hatchet,  and,  after  a  minute  inspection  of 
its  edge,  stuck  it  in  his  belt;  and,  leaving  the  re 
maining  cutlass  to  Gibbs  for  cutting  firewood,  the 
party,  after  looking  well  to  their  priming  and  flints, 
moved  through  the  busy  encampment  to  the  edge 
of  the  wood,  where  several  officers  of  the  engineer 
corps  were  already  marshalling  a  lazy  rabble  of 
Jamaican  negroes. 

"Give  us  your  course,  gentlemen,"  said  Woodside, 
saluting  them,  "and  we  will  try  and  lead  the  way  for 
your  axemen;  we  will  only  blaze  a  path,  and  you 
can  correct  its  defects  at  your  leisure." 

"You  are  welcome  to  try,"  said  the  elder  of  the 
engineers,  "though  'tis  against  rule  to  trust  to  any 
thing  but  theodolite  and  compass.  You  had  better 
look  well  to  your  steps  though,  for  snakes  seem  but 
too  plentiful,  and  we've  killed  a  rattlesnake  already." 

Jones  slung  his  musket,  took  his  hatchet  from 
his  belt,  took  a  long  sight  over  the  theodolite  and 
marched  into  the  thick  coppice,  cutting  and  slash 
ing  at  the  thorny  twigs  and  passing  them  behind 
to  be  carried  off  by  the  others,  until  a  passage  just 
wide  enough  for  men  in  single  file  had  penetrated 
the  narrow  belt  of  close  underbrush  and  let  fhem 
into  a  more  open  growth  of  ceibas,  myrabolans, 
cocoa  palms,  plantains  and  mameis;  some  of  which 
the  men  quickly  attacked  with  their  axes,  and 
though  the  season  was  late,  secured  enough  fruit 


Blazing  a  Path  223 


to  give  each  sufficient  to  fill  their  almost  empty 
haversacks. 

In  such  a  growth,  with  the  exception  of  lianas, 
there  was  little  tq  obstruct  Jones,  who  carelessly 
lopping  off  the  cable-like  vines,  and  occasionally 
cutting  a  huge  blaze  on  the  side  of  any  tree  abut 
ting  on  his  line  of  inarch,  kept  straight  forward 
until  over  two  miles  had  been  traversed  and  the  guns 
of  Boca  Chica  seemed  so  near  that  one  of  the  en 
gineer  officers,  who  had  followed  them  with  a  com 
pass,  became  alarmed  and  counselled  a  return. 

"I  don't  know  after  all  that  it  will  be  best  to  make 
this  covered  way,  for  the  Boca  Grande  is  watched 
by  our  ships  by  day  and  night  and  no  force  can  cross 
from  the  city  without  their  movements  being  tele 
graphed  to  us  before  they  have  gone  a  single  league ; 
and  it  will  be  easier  for  them  to  send  reinforcements 
by  the  lagoon,  until  we  are  masters  of  Boca  Chica," 

"Still,"  said  another,  "we  shall  be  better  able  to 
survey  their  movements,  and  perhaps  to  take  advan 
tage  of  their  knowledge  to  strike  when  they  least 
expect  it.  Let  us  go  on  and  see  what  is  being  done 
in  the  lagoon." 

"Agreed,"  said  the  other,  "but  we  must  go  quietly 
and  use  the  cutlass  only  to  force  a  way  through; 
for  an  axe-stroke  rings  through  these  woods  like  a 
musket  shot,  and  I'm  jealous  we  shall  have  a  brush 
with  the  dons  before  we  get  back." 

Stephen  spoke  in  a  low  tone  to  Untequit,  who 
stepped  lightly  forward,  passing  Jones,  who  at  a 
whisper  at  once  stuck  his  axe  in  his  belt  and  took 
his  musket  in  hand.  The  Indian  led  the  wav  hence- 


224  Cartagena 


forward,  simply  by  the  direction  of  the  sun's  rays, 
until  about  a  mile  further  on  they  saw  an  open  path 
which  they  crossed  at  right  angles.  The  path  was 
a  mere  cattle  road,  but  the  stumps  of  several  large 
mahogany  trees  showed  recent  marks  of  the  axe, 
and  Coggeshall,  as  he  stole  across  it,  picked  up  the 
coarse  brown  paper  of  an  empty  cartridge  casing. 

Thenceforth  they  spoke  only  in  whispers,  and 
moved  forward  quickly  but  watchfully,  unmindful 
of  the  golden  bunches  of  plantains,  grateful  custard 
apples  and  other  tropical  fruits,  and  not  daring  to 
fire,  although  great  flocks  of  gaudy  parrots,  huge 
iguanas,  and  occasional  coveys  of  the  white-meated 
guan,  crossed  their  path  from  time  to  time.  The 
way  grew  boggy  and  wet,  the  hiss  of  large  serpents 
was  heard  from  clumps  of  tall  grass  and  thick-set 
reeds,  and  occasional  detours  were  necessary  to  pass 
by  pond  holes  and  quaking  morasses. 

"We  must  be  nearly  across,"  said  the  engineer  in 
a  husky  voice,  for  the  heat  was  now  almost  over 
powering.  "See,  yonder  there  seems  to  be  a  gleam 
of  blue  water,  and  I  hope  we  may  be  able  to  see 
without  being  seen,  and  rest  an  half  hour  before 
we  set  out  to  return." 

"That  we  can  do,"  replied  Woodside  cheerily. 
"  'Tis  only  six  o'clock  and  twenty  minutes,  and  we 
have  a  good  five  hours  to  cover  as  many  miles.  Hay, 
see  why  it  is,  that  Jones  and  the  Indian  are  stop 
ping  yonder." 

As  he  spoke,  Untequit  beckoned  and  stepped 
boldly  into  a  glade  which  opened  on  a  little  bay 
of  the  lagoon,  which  the  party  as  they  emerged, 


Blazing  a  Path 


beheld  spread  out  before  them,  a  sliallow  inland  sea 
bordered  with  wooded  islets,  between  which  they 
could  see  twenty  miles  away  the  farther  shore  and 
the  deep  ship  channel,  now  beaten  into  short 
chop  seas  by  the  fresh  ocean  breeze.  The  shore 
where  they  stood  was  sandy,  but  on  the  south,  a 
long,  muddy  point  ending  in  a  tangled  grove  of  man 
groves  forbade  farther  exploration  in  that  direc 
tion.  Moving  carefully  northwest,  they  approached 
the  ridges  of  a  woody  promontory,  and  found  that 
between  them  and  Boca  Chica  a  second  mangrove 
marsh  intervened. 

The  grass  gave  no  intimation  of  human  habita 
tion  or  the  presence  of  a  foe,  and  several  species  of 
water  fowTl,  wrading  and  swimming  near  the  mouth 
of  the  bayou,  gave  proof  that  no  boat  was  near  them, 
unless  most  cunningly  concealed,  which  was  not 
likely. 

"I  will  go  yonder,"  said  Untequit,  pointing  to  a 
huge  ceiba  near  the  end  of  the  promontory,  "  and 
keep  watch  in  that  tree.  I  will  answer  for  any  party 
from  that  direction,  but  you  must  see  that  no  sly 
canoe  or  scouting  party  surprises  you  in  the  open." 

So  saying,  the  Indian  took  from  his  haversack 
a  juicy  custard  apple,  and  eating  as  he  went,  saun 
tered  off  through  the  woods  toward  the  great  cotton- 
wood,  in  whose  foliage  he  was  soon  lost  to  view. 

The  rest  of  the  party  were  soon  reclining  on  the 
smooth  sward  on  the  border  of  the  little  cove,  and 
near  a  spring  of  cool,  sweet  water,  with  which  they 
bathed  their  heated  faces  and  filled  their  canteens, 
before  sitting  down  to  breakfast,  or  rather  lunch, 


226  Cartagena 


for  all  were  hungry,  and  the  fruit  they  had 
gathered  had  suffered  somewhat  in  forcing  a  way 
through  the  woods.  Nevertheless  they  enjoyed  the 
luscious  plantains  and  pulpy  mameis,  which  they 
ate  with  their  coarse  shipbread,  and  scooped  out 
the  cold,  creamy  pulp  of  the  cocoa  nuts  with  their 
knives,  not  without  some  little  apprehension  of  sud 
den  surprise,  for  they  were  at  least  a  league  and  a 
half  from  any  support  in  case  of  attack. 

"Juba,  go  and  fill  my  canteen  yonder,"  said  the 
officer  of  engineers  to  the  Jamaica  negro  who  had 
accompanied  him.  The  negro  rose  slowly,  and  grum 
bling  at  being  disturbed,  shambled  off  to  the  brook, 
and  was  about  to  fill  the  receptacle  when,  with  a 
kind  of  howl  of  terror,  he  sprang  backward  and  ran 
at  full  speed  toward  the  party,  followed  rapidly  by 
a  huge,  yellowish  snake.  The  boa,  on  seeing  the  oth 
ers,  suddenly  threw  itself  into  a  coil,  and,  as  if  fear 
ing  to  advance,  yet  unwilling  to  retreat,  reared  its 
shining  crest  above  the  convoluted  folds,  and  with 
glittering  eyes,  erected  fangs  and  forked  tongue  vi 
brating  like  a  lambent  flame,  filled  the  air  with  loud 
hisses,  which  seemed  to  be  echoed  and  re-echoed 
from  the  woods. 

Coggeshall  started,  then  threw  up  his  musket,  and 
called  to  the  negro  who  stood  between  him  and  the 
monster,  "Stand  clear,  thar,  blackey,  an'  I'll  soon 
stop  his  devilish  noise.  What  in  time  ails  ye;  what 
are  ye  lookin'  at  now?" 

Following  the  upturned  glance  of  the  negro's 
eyes  the  party  glanced  into  the  tree  above  them, 
and  with  singular  unanimity  sprang  from  the  ground 


Blazing  a  Path  22' 


and  rushed  down  to  the  shore,  for  in  the  branches 
above  a  second  serpent,  even  larger  than  the  first, 
hung,  slowly  swinging  back  and  forth,  with  four  or 
five  feet  of  his  burnished  neck  and  glittering,  un 
dulating  body  pendant  from  the  branch  around 
which  he  had  been  coiled. 

Jones  struck  his  musket  strongly  on  the  lock  to 
settle  his  priming,  and  spoke  sharply  and  firmly  to 
his  comrade,  "I  take  this,  you  t'other.  Ready?" 

"Aye,  aye,  mate/'  responded  the  privateersman, 
as  his  heavy  musket  settled  down  to  perfect  and 
deadly  aim. 

"Then  fire,"  exclaimed  Jones,  and  so  promptly 
was  the  order  obeyed  that  it  seemed  as  if  but  one 
report  echoed  through  the  glade. 

The  wading  herons,  with  startled  cries,  leaped 
awkwardly  into  the  air  to  seek  the  distant  tree  tops; 
the  wild  duck  sprang  into  flight  with  a  rush  of 
wings  and  confused  calls  until  the  air  was  full 
of  circling  birds;  flocks  of  screaming  parrots  swept 
away  into  the  deeper  woods  and,  as  the  smoke 
cleared  awray,  Coggeshall  saw  that  his  bullet  had 
sped  truly  to  its  mark,  and  the  serpent,  with  shat 
tered  head,  was  writhing  in  the  death  agony. 

Scarcely  less  fatal  was  his  comrade's  aim,  but 
he  had  loaded  with  buckshot  instead  of  ball,  and 
the  agonies  of  the  wounded  monster  were  something 
terrible  to  witness.  The  tree-top  was  shaken  as  with 
a  tempest  by  the  muscular  contractions  and  rapid 
movements  of  the  serpent,  and  leaves,  twigs  and 
drops  of  blood,  which  almost  seemed  to  burn  the 
flesh,  flew  all  around  and  over  the  party. 


228  Cartagena 


Suddenly  the  reptile  relaxed  its  hold,  and  half 
glided,  half  fell  to  the  ground,  and,  either  blinded 
by  its  wounds  or  enraged  to  the  point  of  desperation, 
wriggled  out  to  attack  the  party;  but  a  blow  from 
Hay's  machete  ended  the  episode  and  its  life  together. 

"There!  they're  dead!  But  we  must  be  off,"  cried 
Stephen,  as  he  wiped  the  crimsoned  blade  on  a  hand 
ful  of  grass.  "If  the  Spaniards  are  not  all  shut  up 
in  Boca  Chica,  we  shall  have  plenty  of  company  on 
our  march  back.  By  heaven!  there  are  oars  coming 
around  the  point  yonder.  Let  us  be  off." 

"You  are  right.  Off  with  you,  boys!"  said  Wood- 
side.  But  just  as  the  men  had  slung  their  haver 
sacks,  and  wrere  about  to  send  word  to  Untequit, 
who,  despite  the  noise  of  the  guns,  had  not  made  his 
appearance,  a  tongue  of  flame  flashed  from  the  man 
groves  a  hundred  yards  away,  and  the  negro  fell 
dead,  riddled  with  bullets. 

The  next  instant  the  bow  of  a  large  periauga,  full 
of  men,  and  carrying  one  or  two  swivels, — evidently 
one  of  the  guardboats  of  the  harbor, — darted  out  of 
the  thick  cover,  and  came  on,  her  crew  pouring  in  an 
ill-aimed  volley,  which  for  the  most  part  flew  high 
above  the  heads  of  the  little  party. 

"We  must  leave  the  Indian  to  his  fate,"  said  Wood- 
side,  sadly ;  and  the  Americans  in  single  file  entered 
the  cover,  Coggeshall,  who  brought  up  the  rear,  load 
ing  as  he  ran. 

For  three  hundred  yards  or  more  they  saw  nothing 
of  their  pursuers,  although  an  occasional  missile, 
aimed  at  random,  passed  now  and  then  too  close  to 
be  pleasant;  and,  although  the  Americans  grumbled 


Ulazing  a  Pa  Hi  220 


at  his  orders,  Woodside  utterly  refused  to  let  them 
fire  in  return. 

''The  lieutenant  is  right,  men,"  said  Hay,  at  last. 
"There's  that  path  a  good  mile  ahead  to  cross  be 
fore  we  are  even  passably  sure  of  not  being  cut  off, 
and  if  we  want  to  get  back  with  whole  skins,  we  had 
better  not  lose  time  in  potting  one  or  two  out  of  a 
dozen  Spaniards." 

Nothing  could  be  said  against  this,  for  twenty 
minutes  later,  as  they  burst  into  the  narrow  wood- 
path,  the  whistling  bullets  of  half  a  dozen  muskets, 
fired  by  the  advance  of  a  small  party  from  the  forts, 
told  them  they  had  stirred  up  a  veritable  hornet's 
nest  from  which  there  was  scant  hope  of  escaping. 

A  mile  farther  on  the  engineer  cried  out  that  he 
could  stand  the  pace  no  longer.  Woodside's  face 
was  flushed,  and  his  breath  came  thick  and  panting, 
and  even  Hay  looked  distressed  and  weary. 

"Let  us  turn  and  fight,"  said  Woodside,  as  the 
rustling  woods  told  of  the  hot  pursuit.  "  'Tis  better 
to  die  fighting  than  to  have  our  throats  cut,  like 
deer  run  down  by  the  pack." 

"There's  an  opening  a  little  further  on,"  said 
Stephen,  breathing  hard  as  he  ran.  "If  we  get 
across  it  they  must  charge'us,  up  to  the  muzzles  of 
our  muskets." 

"  'Tis  between  two  swamps,  I  consait,"  said  Jones, 
hopefully.  "I  remember  we  passed  yonder  old 
greenheart,  for  I  minded  the  dead  top  with  the  yel 
low  flowered  vines." 

"Let  us  hurry  across  it,  in  God's  name,"  said 
Woodside,  "and  woe  be  to  them  if  they  try  to  charge 
in  the  teeth  of  our  fire." 


230  Cartagena 


A  hoarse  shout,  or  rather  half  savage  yell  of 
assent  burst  from  the  lips  of  all,  and  even  the  ex 
hausted  officer  of  engineers  grasped  his  fusil  more 
eagerly,  and  broke  into  increased  speed  as  he  is 
sued  into  the  opening,  which  might  measure  from 
three  to  five  hundred-  feet  across,  and  perhaps  half 
as  many  more  in  width  from  one  deep  pond-hole  to 
another.  On  the  farther  side  a  rocky  cliff  projected 
from  a  small  eminence,  and  offered  a  little  vantage 
ground  of  defence  to  the  pursued,  who,  on  reaching 
it,  fell  flat  behind  loose  boulders  and  one  or  two 
large  trees  which  stood  near  the  top  of  the  acclivity. 
They  had  scarcely  looked  to  priming  and  flint,  before 
the  first  of  their  foes  made  their  appearance  in  the 
glade. 

Some  half  a  dozen,  mostly  Spanish  sailors,  wiry, 
bronzed  and  bearded,  bare-headed  and  bare-footed, 
with  long  knives  and  boarding  pistols  in  their  sashes, 
and  their  naked  cutlasses  in  their  hands,  sprang  into 
the  glade,  followed  by  an  infantry  soldier  or  two 
with  heavy  muskets  and  cumbrous  trappings. 

A  single  shot  rang  out  from  a  clump  of  yucca  which 
covered  a  fragment  of  granite,  the  leading  sailor 
sprang  an  ell  into  the  air  and  fell;  dead  long  before 
his  riven  breast  touched" the  parched  herbage. 

Coggeshall  turned  upon  his  back,  and  merely  bit 
ing  his  cartridge  poured  in  the  powder,  and  throw 
ing  away  the  bullet  rammed  down  a  neatly  made 
cartridge  of  buckshot.  "Fire  away,  boys,"  he  cried, 
as  he  struck  the  stock  of  his  musket  sharply  against 
the  rock;  "I'm  ready  for  'em  again."  The  engineer 
fired,  and  the  leading  sailor,  a  slight,  gaily  dressed 


1',-ilh 


officer,  dropped  his  rapier  with  a  volley  of  Spanish 
oaths,  but  caught  it  up  with  his  left  hand,  and  led 
on  his  men  to  the  attack. 

Jones  fired,  and  a  man  beside  him  fell  dead.  Hay's 
musket  sorely  wounded  a  third,  but  the  survivors, 
eight  or  ten  in  number,  still  pressed  on  to  avenge 
their  comrades,  and  Coggeshall  alone  had  his  weapon 
charged. 

"Give  'em  your  pistols,  leftenant,"  he  whispered 
coolly.  "Fire  es  ef  ye  were  practisin'  at  a  mark 
hangin'  from  the  foreyard." 

Woodside  levelled  and  fired  his  pistol,  setting  the 
hair-trigger  and  aiming  at  the  centre  of  the  group. 
A  marine  dropped  his  long  musket  from  his  crushed 
right  hand,  then  turned  and  fled,  and  Coggeshall 
uttered  a  yell  of  triumph,  which  sounded  strangely 
like  a  Tarratine  war-wrhoop,  as  indeed  it  was. 

"Good  again,  Cap,"  he  cried.  "Give  'em  'tother 
one.  I'm  jest  awaitin'  'till  they  pass  yonder  bush, 
an'  then  ef  they  keep  together  es  they  hev'  I'll  drop 
more'n  one,  or  my  name's  not  Jack  Coggeshall." 

The  second  pistol  rang  out  from  the  cover,  but  no 
effect  was  visible,  and  the  young  officer,  scarce  forty 
yards  away,  bounded  on  in  advance  of  his  men, 
swinging  his  bright  blade  and  crying  his  war-cry  of 
"God  and  Spain!"  The  hindmost  pursuers  began 
to  make  their  appearance  at  the  edges  of  the  wood, 
and  already  two  or  three  soldiers,  with  their  cum 
brous  muskets,  had  met  and  passed  their  wounded 
comrade  as  he  ran  for  shelter  to  the  rear. 

"Andela!  Anda!  Dios  y  Expand!"  The  clear,  young 
voice  rang  like  a  bugle  through  the  glade,  which  lay 


232  Cartagena 


strangely  still  as  the  last  faint  wreath  of  smoke 
rose  slowly  up  from  the  ambushed  hill.  The  men  who 
followed  him  had  reached  the  bush;  the  privateer's 
musket  was  raised  to  its  level  and  slowly  swung  as 
the  rushing  footmen  changed  places,  swinging  in  and 
out  of  line.  Suddenly  three  swart  faces  came  for 
an  instant  into  range;  the  trigger  was  pressed,  the 
shower  of  mitraille  hurtled  through  the  yucca  leaves, 
and  the  boy  officer  saw  the  deadly  gap  open  between 
him  and  his  surviving  sailors,  part  of  whom  turned 
as  if  to  flee,  while  the  rest  stood  irresolute;  but  the 
Spaniard,  with  his  sword-blade,  threatened  instant 
death  to  all  cowards,  and  promised  honor  and  gold 
to  those  who  should  follow  and  sweep  the  "hereticos" 
from  the  face  of  the  earth. 

"  'Tis  a  pity;  but  'tis  his  life  or  ourn,"  Jones  mut 
tered  regretfully  to  Stephen,  as  he  raised  his  piece. 
The  death  shot  parted,  the  brave  mariner  cried  his 
war-cry  once  more  as  he  clapped  his  hand  to  his 
left  breast,  and,  as  he  sank  to  earth  insensible,  his 
companions  took  to  flight,  nor  halted  until  they 
were  safely  ensconsed  on  the  borders  of  the  opposite 
wood. 

"We've  beaten  'em  off,"  said  Coggeshall  with  a 
grim  laugh;  "but  they're  comin'  in  fast  thar',  an' 
there's  twenty  at  least  in  the  cover  by  this  time. 
Ef  ye've  got  your  wind,  we'd  better  start  fer  camp 
afore  we're  cut  off  in  the  rear." 

"It  won't  do  to  start  just  yet,"  said  Stephen,  "for 
they're  gathering  for  another  charge.  If  we  hold 
our  fire  and  use  buck  and  ball  cartridge,  we  can  drive 
them  back,  I  think;  and  then,  we'll  let  the  officers 
go  first,  while  one  or  two  of  us  bring  up  the  rear." 


r.I;mng  a   Path 


Woodside  reddened.  "Damme,  sergeant,  if  I  can 
stand  this.  I'm  willing  to  let  you  do  your  bush 
fighting  in  your  own  way,  and  I'm  free  to  say  that 
you  do  know  better  how  to  do  it  than  I  can  tell  you ; 
but  I'm  no  baby,  sirrah,  to  run  first  out  of  danger 
and  leave  my  men  to  throw  their  lives  away  behind 
me." 

Hay  saluted  respectfully:  "I  meant  no  disrespect, 
sir.  You  have  no  piece,  and  you  are  not  used,  as 
both  Jones  and  Coggeshall  have  been,  to  running  at 
speed  through  woods.  We  shall  have  our  fill  of 
fighting  in  ten  minutes  from  now,  for  I  see  the 
bayonets  of  the  men  gathering  among  the  thickets. 
If  we  drive  them  back,  we  shall  be  able  to  give  you 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  the  start;  and  a  few  shots  from 
here  will  make  them  think  that  we  are  disposed  to 
stay  and  fight  it  out,  and  we  can  steal  off,  one  by 
one." 

"You're  right,  as  usual,"  said  Woodside,  heartily. 
"But  what  a  pity  we  haven't  the  skipper's  rifle,  to 
pitch  a  bullet  or  twro  across  the  open,  into  that  squad 
of  men." 

"Thar'll  be  two  less  to  fight  before  they  git  twenty 
paces  clear  of  cover,"  said  Coggeshall,  coolly,  "for 
Jones  and  I  have  loaded  w7ith  ball,  an'  ought  not 
to  miss  at  forty  rod  at  sech  a  mark  as  thet.  Wre'll 
be  reloaded  before  they  reach  us,  an'  ready  fer  a 
volley." 

"I'll  fire  too,"  said  the  officer  of  engineers,  as  he 
handled  his  light,  long-barrelled  Spanish  piece. 
"I've  killed  a  seal  at  full  the  distance,  ere  now,  with 
this  little  piece." 


234  Cartagena. 


"She's  a  good  one/'  replied  Hay,  "but  you'll  have 
to  load  quicker  than  you're  used  to,  I  reckon ;  so  hand 
her  to  me  when  you've  fired,  and  I'll  have  a  load  of 
buckshot  ready  for  her." 

"They're  comin'  ag'in,"  muttered  Jones,  as  the 
bushes  slowly  parted,  and  a  score  or  more  of  men, 
mostly  soldiers,  with  bayonets  fixed  and  muskets  at 
the  charge,  marched  four  deep  out  of  the  forest,  and 
advanced  deliberately  into  the  glade. 

Jones  fired  first,  and  a  marine  fell  out  of  the  first 
rank  with  a  broken  leg,  but  the  second  rank  man 
stepped  into  his  place  just  in  time  to  break  the  fall 
of  his  left-hand  man,  who  received  the  ball  from  the 
engineer's  fusil  in  the  breast,  while  a  third  man  in 
the  second  rank  fell  stunned  by  Coggeshall's  bullet, 
which  ploughed  an  ugly  scalp  wound  along  the  whole 
top  of  the  skull. 

Hay  hurriedly  reloaded  the  officer's  piece,  but  the 
Spaniards  were  quickening  their  pace,  and  their 
bravery,  discipline  and  numbers  threatened  a  dis 
astrous  defeat  to  the  little  handful  of  colonists;  when 
a  puff  of  smoke  burst  from  the  thicket  behind  them, 
and  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  scouts  fell  dead  in 
his  tracks.  A  second  musket  rang  out,  and  another 
file  closer,  a  sergeant,  lay  mortally  wounded,  while 
the  detachment  halted  just  as  a  third  musket  car 
ried  death  into  their  ranks. 

"Who  can  it  be?"  said  Woodside,  who  with  a 
pistol  in  each  hand  and  his  sword  beside  him,  had 
anxiously  awaited  the  proper  moment  to  give  the 
command  for  their  final  volley.  "Who  can  we  have 
out  scouting  this  way  who  would  open  fire  so  slowly? 


Blazing  a  Path  235 


It  can't  be  the  grenadiers  or  the  marines  that  landed 
with  us." 

Hay's  face  gleamed  with  a  strange  joy  as  he 
answered,  "  'Tis  no  regular  that  fired  those  shots, 
for  the  best  marksman  of  old  Barnstable  County  is 
behind  yonder  cover.  'Twas  a  bold  thing  to  do,  but 
he  knew  their  strength,  and  I'll  risk  that  he  gets 
clear.  See,  they  are  sending  back  half  a  dozen  men. 
Now  for  our  own  part  of  this  last  struggle." 

The  remaining  officers,  a  corporal  and  ensign,  had 
for  a  moment  hesitated  as  to  the  course  to  be  pur 
sued.  But  a  dozen  at  least  were  left  for  the  subal 
tern  to  lead  against  the  scouts,  who  now  with  a 
stronger  confidence  awaited  the  attack  of  the 
lessened  number,  which  again  advanced  at  the  run  to 
carry  the  little  hill. 

Hay  with  some  anxiety  watched  the  movements 
of  the  others  as  they  dashed  toward  the  wood 
whence  the  hidden  marksman  had  fired ;  for  his  keen 
eye  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  cocked  hat  peering  above 
the  shelter  of  a  large  stump,  and  at  the  same  moment 
the  Spaniards  opened  fire  on  the  object. 

On  the  instant,  from  another  point  of  the  glade  a 
long  gunshot  to  the  westward  another  shot  was 
heard,  another  victim  fell,  and  at  the  same  moment 
a  cry  wrhich  none  who  had  ever  heard  it  could  mis 
take  ;  full  of  the  lust  of  battle  and  savage  triumph ; 
pealed  through  the  forest,  echoing  and  re-echoing 
until  it  seemed  as  if  a  dozen  throats  must  have  joined 
in  the  savage  war-cry. 

"Ett  het  tee  keel  Eu  het  tee  teak!"  The  strangely- 
modulated  cry  pealed  forth  again,  but  this  time  on 


236  Cartagena 


the  flank  of  the  regulars,  whose  thinned  ranks 
counted  one  the  less  as  another  musket-shot  rang 
out  almost  even  with  their  advancing  lines. 

Hay  laughed  silently  as  he  drew  himself  up  for 
the  final  volley:  "  'Tis  the  Indian  war-cry,  though 
few  white  men  have  heard  it,  for  none  of  the  tribes 
that  once  used  it  wear  war-paint,  or  fight  except  in 
the  ranks  of  the  Massachusetts  militia.  But  give 
the  word,  lieutenant,  as  soon  as  you  please,  for 
they  are  getting  near  enough  now." 

"Are  you  ready?"  cried  Woodside. 

A  murmur  of  assent  came  from  the  cover. 

"Then  make  ready! — fire!"  The  volley  which 
swept  from  the  coppice  left  but  half  of  the  charging 
force  alive,  and  they,  without  leaders  or  courage 
for  further  endeavor,  took  to  their  heels  and  fled  for 
shelter  to  the  distant  forest;  while,  from  the  bushes 
which  skirted  the  nearer  swamp,  Untequit,  without 
hat  or  wig,  and  minus  all  his  trappings  except  waist- 
belt  knife  and  bayonet,  sprang  like  a  deer,  and,  run 
ning  across  the  open  space,  rejoined  his  friends. 

His  story  was  soon  told.  Suddenly  alarmed  by  the 
reports  of  the  muskets  discharged  at  the  boas,  he 
was  about  to  leap  down  and  run  to  the  aid  of  his 
companions,  when  he  saw  a  small  body  of  soldiers 
cross  the  ridge  from  the  forest,  and  hasten  in  the 
direction  of  his  comrades.  Then  came  the  crashing 
discharge  of  the  boat-gun  and  the  noise  of  pursuit, 
and  he  rightly  judged  that  a  guardboat  had  sud 
denly  come  upon  the  party. 

Cautiously  descending,  he  laid  aside  his  heavy 
cartridge  box,  canteen,  haversack,  and  leather  stock, 


Blazing  a  Path  237 


and  determined  to  essay  his  own  deliverance  and  the 
succor  of  his  friends,  if  skill  and  courage  could 
effect  it. 

"I  found  the  negro  dead,"  he  said  briefly.  "All 
the  Spaniards  followed;  I  followed,  too.  I  heard 
firing.  The  sailors  came  back,  and  three  left  their 
muskets  yonder.  They  went  by  me,  wounded  and 
bleeding,  through  the  woods,  toward  the  boat. 

"I  waited  until  the  soldiers  marched  out  of  the 
woods.  Then  I  crept  up  to  the  muskets;  twro  were 
loaded.  I  shot  three  times,  and  each  time  I  drew 
blood;  and  then  reloaded,  and  left  my  hat  and  wig 
on  a  ramrod  behind  a  tree.  When  they  fired,  I  was 
a  gunshot  nearer  you ;  and,  if  they  had  followed — " 

"What  would  you  have  done?"  asked  the  officer 
of  engineers  eagerly. 

"He  would  not  have  left  one  of  them  Spanish  sol 
diers  alive,  sir,"  said  Coggeshall  eagerly. 

Untequit  nodded  gratefully  to  his  comrade,  and 
the  next  moment  rose  and  darted  out  into  the  plain, 
where  lay  the  wounded  and  dead  of  the  enemy. 
Several  of  them  gave  utterance  to  cries  of  pain  and 
terror,  evidently  fearing  that  no"  quarter  was  to  be 
given,  and  Woodside  turned  anxiously  to  Stephen: 

"Surely  he  won't  scalp  or  harm  a  wounded  man. 
If  he  does,  I  won't  answer  for  his  life  at  the  hands 
of  the  provost  marshal." 

"Have  no  fear,  sir,"  replied  Hay  gravely.  "We 
are  none  of  us  cruel;  and  Untequit,  although  .an 
Indian  and  descended  from  great  warriors,  is  an 
honest  man  and  a  Christian.  See!  he  is  stripping 
the  cartouch  box,  belts  and  stock  from  that  dead 


238  Cartagena 


marine,  and,  I  dare  say,  will  go  back  yonder  to  get 
his  hat  and  wig  again,  for,  I'll  venture  the  dons  have 
had  enough  of  it." 

On  his  return  from  this  errand,  Untequit  found 
that  his  friends  had  assisted  the  wounded  into  the 
shade  of  the  forest,  bound  up  their  injuries  and 
given  them  water  to  quench  their  thirst,  filling  their 
oxhorn  canteens  from  the  nearest  pool.  The  dead 
officer  was  left  as  he  had  fallen,  for  none  cared  to 
unclasp  the  slender  fingers,  which  even  in  death 
gripped  the  silver-hilted  rapier  with  a  clasp  which 
only  brutal  force  could  have  unloosened. 

A  little  later  they  issued  from  the  woods  and 
found  the  pickets  alarmed,  and  the  working  force 
strongly  reinforced;  while  Capt.  Knowles,  whose 
ship  they  were  to  have  rejoined  at  noon,  stood  talk 
ing  with  the  engineers,  who  had  made  but  little  head 
way  on  the  proposed  path  through  the  woods  across 
the  island  of  Tierra  Bomba. 

"I  excuse  you,  sir!"  he  said  to  Woodside,  after 
hearing  his  story,  "and  will  see  that  the  admiral 
hears  of  the  bravery  and  good  conduct  of  your  party. 
But  henceforth  be  more  careful  how  you  expose 
yourselves,  for  wre  cannot  easily  replace  such  men 
as  your  boat's  crew,  and  we  count  you  no  longer  as 
part  of  the  army,  but  as  attached  to  the  fleet." 

Woodside  bowed  low  to  his  superior,  and  his  hopes 
of  promotion  and  advancement  seemed  brighter  than 
ever,  but  the  army  officers  around  him  and  the  dig 
nitaries  of  the  engineer  force  exchanged  curious  and 
bitter  glances;  for  already  the  evil  seed  was  sown 
which  was  to  utterly  and  shamefully  estrange  ad- 


Blazing  a  Path  230 


miral  and  general,  marine  and  grenadier,  seaman 
and  soldier,  to  the  utter  ruin  and  deep  disgrace  of 
all. 

A  party  was  sent  out  to  scout  through  the  blazed 
line,  but  came  upon  a  heavy  force  of  Spaniards,  and 
were  repulsed  with  some  loss;  but  the  Americans 
had  been  dismissed  for  the  time,  and  found  that 
Gibbs  had  not  been  unmindful  of  their  comfort. 
He  had  fished  from  the  rocks  with  good  success; 
killed  half  a  dozen  parrots  as  a  flock  disordered  by 
the  noise  flew  overhead,  and  had  found  in  the  woods 
to  the  southward  a  few  pineapples  and  limes.  These 
he  had  properly  prepared  and  cooked,  exchanging 
a  part  with  an  officer's  servant  for  some  bread,  sugar 
and  rum;  and  upon  these  healthy  viands  the  men 
feasted,  tempering  the  vapid  water  of  the  shallow 
springs  with  the  juice  of  the  limes  and  bananas,  and 
the  more  fiery  spirit  of  St.  Croix. 

"The  captain  says  that  we  may  yet  be  called  upon 
to  haul  our  boat  across  the  island,  and  lead  an  at 
tack  of  the  yawls  and  cutters  on  St.  Louis  de  Boca 
Chica;  for  he  thinks  the  mortar  battery  ill-placed, 
and  the  engineers  slow  and  inefficient." 

Thus  said  Woodside  to  Hay  as,  after  supper,  they 
went  down  to  the  nearest  point  of  rock,  and  cooled 
their  heated  faces  in  the  ocean  waves. 

"I'm  sorry,"  said  Hay,  "that  at  this  time  there 
should  be  any  cause  for  ill-feeling  between  the  fleet 
and  the  army,  for  we  who  are  of  no  rank  will  be 
ground  to  pieces,  as  corn  is  between  the  upper  and 
lower  millstones." 

"You  say  truly,  Hay,  and  I  would  it  were  other- 


240  Cartagena 


wise;  but  we  who  are  on  detached  service  have  some 
chance  of  escape,  and  it  may  be  that  fortune  or  provi 
dence  will  send  us  an  easy  victory,  and  end  all  in 
triumph." 


Chapter  XVII. 
Opening  the  Trenches 

The  next  day  and  the  next  came,  and  still  the 
Massachusetts  troops  were  not  landed;  and  at  last 
Woodside's  party,  in  the  midst  of  their  constant  and 
varied  boat-service,  found  themselves,  one  sultry 
afternoon,  going  alongside  the  huge  Prince  Freder 
ick;  which,  as  one  of  the  "crack  70's"  of  Lestock's 
division,  had,  under  the  command  of  Lord  Aubrey 
Beauclerc  de  Vere,  been  put  into  complete  prepara 
tion  for  the  final  terrible  bombardment,  which  must 
sooner  or  later  end  the  contest  for  the  possession 
of  Boca  Chica, 

A  light  awning  covered  the  whale-boat,  and  pro 
tected  the  colonists  from  coup  de  soldi;  and  as  they 
came  under  the  side  of  the  huge  man-of-war,  many 
an  idler  and  officer  peered  out  from  under  the  awn 
ings  and  the  heavy  quarter-galleries,  where  such 
as  were  of  sufficiently  high  rank  languidly  puffed 
away  at  mild  Manila  and  fragrant  Havana,  or  sought 
in  vain  to  cool  their  feverish  thirst  with  tropical 
fruits,  and  choice  clarets  and  Rhenish  wines. 

"There's  our  captain,"  said  Hay,  eagerly,  as  he 
swept  the  long,  sharp  boat  deftly  in  between  a  heavy 
twelve-oared  yawl  and  the  ladder.  "I  wonder  what 
brings  him  aboard  this  vessel,  and  what  has  become 
of  our  old  skipper  of  the  Two  Friends?  Please  to  let 
us  know — will  you,  lieutenant?" 

Woodside  lowered  his  voice  as  he  spoke:     "God 


242  Cartagena 


help  them  if  they  are  here;  for  the  yellow  fever, 
they  say,  is  getting  worse  on  board  the  fleet,  and 
the  captain,  as  you  know,  was  hardly  himself  when 
we  spent  our  last  night  on  the  schooner.  If  I  can 
get  permission  for  you  to  go  on  deck,  I  will;  and 
you  shall  have  all  the  time  I  can  spare  to  see  your 
comrades." 

The  generous  young  Englishman  leaped  lightly 
to  the  ladder,  and  ran  up  the  side  almost  as  nimbly 
as  a  topman,  so  much  had  active  employment,  out- 
of-door  life  and  fitting  food  done  to  re-create  the 
strength  and  health  impaired  by  wearisome  delays, 
crowded  quarters,  and  disgusting  and  insufficient 
aliment.  For  a  moment  only  he  wras  lost  to  their 
view,  when  he  again  appeared  at  the  gangway,  and 
beckoned  to  them  to  ascend.  Their  old,  kind-hearted 
commander  stood  beside  him,  but  the  strong,  grave 
face  was  strangely  wan,  and  the  thin  lips  had  lost 
their  quiet  firmness,  in  the  pitiable  tremors  that  tell 
of  a  vitality  sapped  to  the  last  foundations  of  life. 

The  bronzed  oarsmen  swarmed  up  the  side,  and 
took  his  cold  hand  with  a  grasp,  which  in  spite  of 
themselves  told  of  love,  pity  and  despair;  but  the 
weak,  weary  voice  bade  them  welcome  cheerily,  and 
praised  their  little  exploits  with  a  heartiness  which 
forbade  all  thought  of  the  existence  of  envy  or  jeal 
ousy  in  that  brave,  true  heart.  "I  wish  you  would 
come  back  to  me  when  your  errand  is  done,"  he  said 
to  Wood  side,  as  the  latter  took  the  folded  despatch 
from  his  waist-belt.  "I've  a  favor  to  ask,  and  God 
knows  when  I  shall  meet  you  again." 

For  a  moment  the  men  stood  silent,  as  Woodside 


Opening  the  Trenches  243 


passed  on  to  the  door  of  the  great  cabin,  while  Stew 
art  seemed  to  lose  himself  in  an  enthralling  reverie, 
which  ended  in  a  heavy  sigh.  "I  beg  your  pardon, 
sergeant,"  he  said  to  Hay,  "I  suppose  you  would  like 
to  know  how  it  is  that  I  am  here,  and  something 
about  your  old  friend  Skipper  Clarke?" 

"That  we  should  indeed,  sir,"  replied  Hay.  "I 
hope  nothing  has  befallen  him." 

"Surely  he  was  well  when  we  bade  him  'good 
bye,'  "  said  Gibbs,  anxiously. 

"He  has  sailed  northward,  but  unless  the  terrible 
experiences  of  late  are  false  teachers,  the  fever  was 
in  his  veins  and  in  those  of  half  his  crew.  Twenty- 
five  of  our  men  were  put  on  board  this  ship  and 
there  are  ten  on  the  Falmouth,  and  five  on  the  Dun 
kirk,  that  fourth-rate  astern." 

"And  how  do  you  find  the  quarters  and  provisions 
on  board  here,  sir?"  asked  Hay. 

"It  is  no  use  to  conceal  the  truth,  Hay.  Our  men, 
like  the  sailors  of  the  fleet,  are  half-starved  from  the 
disgraceful  state  of  the  provisions  and  lack  of  water; 
which,  in  such  a  climate,  is  needed  in  large  quanti 
ties  to  supply  the  loss  by  perspiration;  and  as 
officers  we  fare  but  little  better  than  the  men.  As 
I  am  a  physician,  I  have  had  some  extra  favors  shown 
me,  but  I  have  lost  flesh  and  strength  of  late,  and  I 
fear  am  going  as  only  too  many  poor  fellows  have 
gone  before  me,"  and  he  pointed  significantly  over 
the  side  to  the  surrounding  ocean. 

"You  must  not  talk  so,  sir,"  said  Hay  eagerly; 
"and  you  must  take  a  trip  with  us  on  shore  for  a 
day  or  two.  Mr.  Woodside  will,  I  know,  get  per- 


244  Cartagena 


mission  of  Captain  Knowles,  and  there  is  plenty  of 
room  in  the  whaler.  A  change  of  scene,  and  plenty 
of  fruit  and  fish  will  make  a  new  man  of  you." 

"It  can't  be/'  said  Stewart  gravely.  "I  have  my 
duties,  and  must,  if  it  be  God's  will,  die  at  my  post. 
Half  of  my  own  men  are  sick,  and  I  have  a  boat  to 
visit  them  daily;  and  we  are  told  to  keep  in  readiness 
to  serve  at  the  guns  in  a  few  days.  It  would  never 
do  for  me  to  be  pleasuring  with  you.  I  should  think 
of  the  poor  fellows  crowded  together  in  their  filthy 
quarters,  where  but  a  few  ever  leave  their  hammocks 
in  life." 

"Can  we  do  nothing  for  you?  It  seems  wrong 
that  you  should  be  cooped  up  here.  But  here  comes 
Lieutenant  Woodside;  perhaps  lie  can  see  some  way 
out  for  our  poor  comrades,  that  will  give  you  a 
chance  to  rest." 

"A  word  with  you,  Captain  Stewart,"  said  that 
officer  hastily,  and  the  two  drew  as  much  as  possi 
ble  apart  from  the  sailors  and  soldiers  who  thronged 
the  over-crowded  decks. 

"I  find  that  my  errand  here  concerns  rather  the 
Americans  on  board  than  anyone  else.  The  engi 
neers  ashore  open  the  trenches  to-night,  and  need 
axemen  and  scouts.  The  regulars  are  neither,  and 
the  negroes  are  too  stupid  for  such  delicate  service. 
As  you  know,  many  of  our  comrades  from  the  south 
ern  colonies  feel  aggrieved  at  having  to  perform  such 
service." 

"It  should  excite  no  surprise,  sir,"  said  Stewart 
a  little  haughtily,  "that  we  should  not  delight  in  the 
praise  of  a  proficiency  as  axemen,  which  is  given  us 


Opening  the  Trenches  245 

by  those  who  feel  themselves  disgraced  by  similar 
duties." 

"This  feeling,"  continued  Woodside,  "I  can  readily 
understand  and  heartily  acquiesce  in;  but  so  deep 
have  been  the  murmurs  and  so  sensitive  are  the 
fears  or  jealousies  of  those  in  charge  of  the  expedi 
tion,  that  already  over  half  the  American  contin 
gent  are  looked  upon  as  disaffected  and  far  more 
likely  to  join  the  Spaniards  than  to  fight  them." 

"Join  the  Spaniards?  not  fight?  >Tis  ridiculous," 
said  Stewart.  "And  yet  we  are  strangely  enough 
kept  on  board  the  fleet,  when  it  would  seem  that  we 
were  needed  on  shore." 

"Depend  upon  it,  I  am  right  in  what  I  say.  And 
now  for  my  errand.  I  want  skilled  men  for  pioneer 
and  picket  work  ashore,  and  Lord  Aubrey  has  di 
rected  me  to  ask  you  to  parade  your  men  and  ask 
for  volunteers.  I  will  take  you  to  the  other  vessels, 
and  will  carry  your  answer  to  Mr.  Moore,  the  en 
gineer,  on  shore." 

Stewart  at  once  gave  the  necessary  orders,  the 
drummer  sounded  the  assembly,  and  the  men  began 
to  fall  into  line;  but  the  wan  and  faded  appearance 
of  many  terribly  shocked  their  more  fortunate  com 
rades.  Still  they  were  for  the  most  part  desirous 
of  more  stirring  service,  and  as  they  ordered  their 
muskets  and  listened  to  his  words,  they  showed  in 
every  look  and  gesture  the  stamp  of  that  individual 
intelligence  and  character,  seldom  to  be  noticed 
among  the  stolid  faces  of  the  ship's  marines. 

"I  am  asked,  men,"  said  Stewart,  with  some  of 
the  old,  quiet  humor  in  his  manner,  "to  beat  up  vol- 


246  Cartagena 


unteers  for  pioneer  service  ashore;  a  service  I  am 
assured  that  we  can  perform  as  well,  if  not  better, 
than  any  other  troops  in  the  army.  It  is,  however, 
to  be  performed  under  fire,  and  it  may  be  that  some 
parties  will  be  ordered  to  especially  dangerous 
duties. 

"You  will  bear  me  witness  that  I  have  ever  treated 
my  men  as  gentlemen  volunteers,  and  I  have  had 
no  part  in  the  attempts  made  to  degrade  us  to  the 
level  of  rebellious  slaves  and  ignorant  negroes,  as 
hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water  for  the  army, 
nor  will  I  ever  acquiesce  in  such  degrading  associa 
tions. 

"But  I  know  that  you  are  not  afraid  to  labor,  and 
that  you  will  not  shrink  from  danger,  while  it  may 
be  that  many  may  find  in  a  needed  change  of  air,  and 
perhaps  of  food,  a  cure  for  their  ailments  and  benefit 
to  their  general  health.  I,  therefore,  volunteer  to  go 
and  take  an  axe  myself." 

"So  do  I,"  said  Woodside,  and  close  behind  him 
his  boat's  crew  echoed  his  words,  with  a  smile  of  en 
couragement  and  willingness  on  their  bron/ed  faces. 

A  hoarse  murmur  rang  through  the  ranks,  "I  will 
go!  I  will  go!"  but  at  a  word  from  their  leader  all 
were  silent  as  became  men  under  military  discipline. 

"Shoulder  arms,"  cried  the  captain,  and  the  fire 
locks  came  up  with  precision  sharp  and  soldierly 
despite  their  short  service.  "Now  let  every  man 
who  is  willing  to  go,  keep  his  musket  at  his  shoulder 
win  11  I  give  the  command  to  order  arms.  Company, 
attention!  Order  arms!"  The  wearied  voice  rang 
out  clear  and  soldierly,  but  no  rattle  of  band  and 


Opening  the  Trenches  247 

ramrod  followed,  for  not  a  man  stirred  from  the 
position  first  taken.  "I  thank  you,  men,"  he  said, 
proudly.  "Now  get  ready  to  land  at  half  an  hour's 
notice.  Port  arms!  Break  off!" 

Before  night  the  remnant  of  the  company,  some 
fifty  men  in  all,  were  encamped  with  the  New  York 
and  other  levies;  still  deemed  sufficiently  reliable 
and  orthodox  to  be  landed  from  the  floating  hos 
pitals  of  the  fleet  and  transports. 

In  the  cool  of  the  afternoon  a  heavy  detachment, 
armed  and  provided  with  mattock,  spade  and  axe, 
were  marched  as  silently  as  possible  toward  the 
point  chosen  for  the  breaching  battery,  a  rocky  ele 
vation  surrounded  by  a  dense  growth  of  tropical 
vegetation.  Already  the  lines  of  ditch,  parapet, 
banquette,  glacis  and  tcrre  plelne  were  marked  by 
white  stakes,  and  as  they  left  the  beach  they  had 
seen  the  boats  towing  shoreward  heavy  barges, 
which  sustained  one  or  more  of  the  24-pound  breach 
ing  guns  and  their  carriages.  A  detachment  of  sap 
pers  and  miners,  and  some  score  of  Jamaican  ne 
groes  rested  under  the  trees,  awaiting  the  word  to 
begin,  and  already  a  score  or  more  of  the  latter  had 
cleared  away  with  their  machetes  all  the  underbrush 
on  the  acclivity  itself. 

Stewart,  as  senior  captain,  was  directed  to  begin 
the  work  of  clearing  away  the  smaller  trees  in  rear 
of  the  works,  and  carefully  cautioned  his  men 
against  felling  any  tree  by  daylight  which  might 
rouse  the  suspicion  of  the  enemy  by  its  absence. 

Only  four  hundred  and  fifty  yards  lay  between 
the  battery  and  the  fortress  of  Boca  Chica,  where 


248  Cartagena 


ninety-four  guns  and  a  full  garrison  of  soldiers  and 
sailors,  stood  on  the  alert  to  open  fire  on  the  first 
object  which  even  excited  their  suspicion. 

A  score  or  more  of  his  best  men  were  sent  for 
ward  to  act  as  scouts  and  form  a  picket  line  on  the 
edge  of  the  jungle,  which  came  up  on  the  land  side 
to  within  three  hundred  yards  of  the  fort,  and  Wood- 
side,  at  his  own  request,  was  permitted  to  lead 
with  his  own  boat's  crew  upon  this  dangerous  duty. 

"We  will  keep  to  the  south  and  west,  sir,"  said 
he  to  Moore,  the  engineer,  "until  we  are  at  least 
half  a  mile  inland.  Then,  if  you  please,  I  will  fell  a 
few  tall  trees  and  draw  their  fire,  unless  too  strong  a 
force  stops  our  progress." 

"You  must  do  nothing  of  the  kind,  sir,  just  now; 
but  you  may  make  a  circuit  around  the  fort  and, 
if  possible,  surprise  a  picket  or  two  on  that  side; 
and  if  you  will  light  a  bonfire  that  shall  burst  out 
after  dark,  you  will  probably  effect  as  much  in  the 
way  of  misleading  the  enemy.  The  sergeant  will 
give  you  a  fireball  and  fuse ;  all  you  have  to  do  is  to 
collect  sufficient  dry  fuel,  light  the  fuse  and  place  it 
therein." 

About  an  hour  before  dark  the  scouts  started,  and 
pushing  in  single  file  through  the  tangled  woods,  for 
half  a  mile  or  so,  found  themselves  in  the  road 
crossed  by  the  party  in  their  flight  from  the  Span 
iards,  and  as  it  was  bordered  by  clumps  of  detached 
bushes  Untequit  was  sent  to  follow  it  up  toward  the 
fort.  In  about  five  minutes  he  came  back,  saying 
that  a  picket  guard  of  four  men  were  posted  a  hun 
dred  yards  or  more  around  a  bend  of  the  road,  and 


Opening  the  Trendies  24!) 

that  with  an  equal  number  of  men  he  could  capture 
them. 

The  detail  made,  however,  was  larger,  and  com 
prised  twelve  men  who,  in  Indian  file,  wound 
through  the  woods  until  half  their  number  under 
Hay  could  take  position  just  above  the  thought 
less  picket  guard,  and  between  them  and  the  castle. 

Untequit  and  four  others,  all  old  Indian  fighters, 
stole  like  serpents  through  the  grass,  until  only  the 
very  clump  by  which  the  Spaniards  were  posted 
lay  between  them  and  their  foes. 

The  tallest,  a  bearded  Catalan  marine,  stood 
idly  leaning  on  his  musket;  the  other  three  had 
placed  their  guns  against  a  palm  three  or  four  yards 
away  and  were  rolling  and  smoking  the  inevitable 
husk  cigar  it  o. 

"Thou  sayest,  Carlos,"  said  one  of  the  smokers, 
"that  these  English  fought  like  devils." 

"Curamba!  So  they  did,  if  they  were  English; 
but  I  count  them  rather  of  the  Americanos  who  some 
times  cruise  upon  our  coast.  We  had  them,  as  we 
thought,  at  point  blank  range  of  the  patcraro  and 
killed  only  a  black  slave,  and  they  killed  and 
wounded  ten  of  the  best  men  of  the  Gallicia." 

"But  thinkest  thou  they  will  come  through  the 
forest  again,  Carlos?" 

"Why  not,  O  most  timorous  Pepe!  Surely,  as  long 
as  their  tents  stand  over  yonder,  there  will  be  parties 
ranging  the  woods,  were  it  only  for  the  wild  fruit 
of  the  island.  But  trust  me,  they  shall  not  come 
on  us  unheard,  were  they  to  slide  through  the  bushes 
like  a  serpent." 


250  Cartagena 


"Methinks  I  heard  one  just  now,  Carlos," 
cried  Pepe,  about  to  rise  in  alarm;  but  before  the 
three  could  get  to  their  muskets,  the  scouts  stood 
over  them  with  levelled  weapons,  while  Untequit, 
with  a  leap  like  a  wildcat,  had  hurled  the  huge 
Catalan  to  the  ground. 

The  four  were  bound  and  gagged ;  and,  while  the 
main  party  prepared  a  huge  pile  of  fuel  deep  in  the 
jungle,  Hay  and  the  Indian  hastened  to  make  their 
way  to  the  outlet  of  the  woodland  path.  They  found 
no  other  force  inside  the  forest;  but  the  reserve 
of  a  dozen  men  lay  by  their  fires  half-way  between 
the  wood  and  the  castle. 

On  their  return  they  found  the  alarm  fire  ready, 
and  at  Hay's  suggestion  the  muskets  and  boarding 
pistols  of  their  captives  were  heavily  loaded  and 
placed  in  the  pile  of  dry  boughs,  amid  which  the  fuse 
as  they  retired  gave  out  an  occasional  warning  spark 
of  the  conflagration  that  in  an  hour  or  two  at  most 
must  ensue. 

The  return  was  difficult,  but  owing  to  the  wood 
craft  of  their  leaders  and  the  use  of  a  pocket  com 
pass,  and  a  vial  of  phosphoric  composition,  they  suc 
ceeded  in  reaching  the  place  selected  for  a  battery, 
and  being  readily  recognized  by  signals  previously 
agreed  upon,  came  within  the  line  of  pickets. 
Here  row  on  row  of  dim  and  carefully  shaded  lan 
terns  lit  up  the  trenches  and  two  thousand  men  bent 
over  their  task  of  throwing  up  the  huge  mounds  and 
excavating  the  deep  ditches  below  and  around  them. 

All  worked  in  absolute  silence  and  without  loss; 
although  from  time  to  time  a  shell  or  shot  whistled 


Opening  the  Trenches  251 

high  overhead  in  search  of  the  English  camp  beyond 
them. 

"You  have  done  well,"  said  the  engineer,  as  the 
report  was  made,  "and  if  your  bonfire  alarms  them 
in  that  direction  to-night  it  will  perhaps  help  us 
greatly,  and  certainly  save  the  lives  of  some  of  our 
poor  -fellows,  for  they  have  the  range  very  prettily." 

The  prisoners  were  placed  in  charge  of  the  reserve 
guard,  who  were  bivouacked  midway  between  two 
heavy  working  parties ;  for,  by  the  light  of  the  lan 
terns,  several  hundred  men  were  rolling  up  large 
casks,  which,  set  on  end,  secured  by  fascines  and 
pickets,  and  filled  with  sand,  grew  rapidly  into  the 
desired  proportions  of  a  battery  for  large  siege 
mortars. 

Pepe  and  two  of  his  companions  in  misfortune 
were  garrulous  and  womanish  in  their  lamentations 
at  the  untoward  fortune  of  war;  but  Carlos,  the 
Catalan,  bore  his  evil  destiny  quietly,  and,  instead 
of  throwing  himself  down  beside  his  weeping  com 
panions,  seated  himself  against  the  half  reclining 
trunk  of  a  stunted  cedar,  and,  asking  a  light,  by 
signs,  of  a  good-natured  grenadier,  seemed,  as  far 
as  could  be  seen  in  the  darkness,  to  be  wholly  occu 
pied  in  the  constant  rolling  and  smoking  of  innu 
merable  cigarettes;  and  as  the  sentry  strode  back 
and  forth,  he  could  easily  discern  the  heavily  bearded 
face  and  fiery  black  eyes,  as  an  occasional  puff  of 
more  vehemence  than  its  fellows  lit  up  the  little 
nook  of  overhanging  foliage. 

Suddenly,  a  mile  or  more  away,  a  deep-hued  radi 
ance,  lit  up  the  midnight  sky  above  the  woods,  and 


252  Cartagena 


as  the  scouts  and  engineers  listened,  three  or  four 
dropping  shots,  fired  in  quick  succession,  were  fol 
lowed  by  a  scattering  volley,  and,  after  an  ominous 
pause,  by  a  heavy  fire  from  castle  and  shipping. 

"They  have  fallen  into  the  trap,"  said  Moore,  rub 
bing  his  hands,  "and  I  doubt  if  they  dare  send  out 
a  party  to  reconnoitre.  Go,  Mr.  Woodside,"  said 
he  hurriedly,  "take  your  crew  and  carry  those  prison 
ers  on  board  the  Weymouth.  I  would  not  for  a 
whole  company's  lives,  that  they  should  escape  now 
to  set  those  stupid  dons  right  as  to  our  whereabouts. 
Off  with  them  at  once;  and  by  the  time  you  are 
back  to-morrow,  I  hope  you  will  see  the  parapets 
well  forward  and  our  men  beginning  to  lay  the  plat 
forms  for  our  twenty-four  pounders." 

Woodside  started,  little  loath  ;for  the  scene,  though 
striking,  soon  became  monotonous,  and  the  strange 
effects  produced  by  the  uncertain  and  fitful  glare 
of  the  lanterns  on  gay  uniforms,  tropical  vegetation 
and  the  constantly  changing  array  of  busy  workers, 
were  insufficient  to  distract  the  attention  from 
swarms  of  mosquitoes,  clouds  of  gnats  and  the 
myriad  other  insect  plagues  with  which  a  tropical 
forest  generally  abounds. 

With  an  order  for  the  prisoners  Woodside  ap 
proached  the  guard  reserve,  and  the  major  in  charge 
with  unnecessary  zeal  routed  up  from  their  slum 
bers  Pepe  and  his  co-prisoners,  who,  with  a  vague 
idea  that  they  were  ordered  for  instant  execution, 
burst  into  a  passion  of  tears  and  entreaties,  inter 
rupted  by  sundry  appeals  and  genuflections  made  to 
tiny  reliquaries,  heretofore  concealed  under  their 


Opening  the  Trendies  253 

coarse  linen  shirts.  Carlos  alone  seemed  unmoved, 
as  the  red  coal  at  the  end  of  his  cigarito  gleamed  from 
under  the  shadow  of  his  brass-fronted  military  cap. 

"That  beggar's  good  stuff,  if  he  is  a  don,"  said 
the  major  gruffly,  indignant  at  his  prisoners'  fears. 
"However,  you  must  go  too,  so  come  out  of  your  seat 
and  be  jogging.  Do  you  hear,  sirrah.  Fane,  make 
him  come  out  of  that." 

The  man,  little  loath,  stepped  into  the  shadow 
of  the  cedar,  but  the  next  moment  sprang  out  stam 
mering  and  shaking  with  fright.  "  'Tis  the  devil 
that  sits  there,"  said  he  tremblingly,  "and  no  mortal 
man.  His  eyes  are  like  fire,  and  he  has  no  beard, 
though  when  I  saw  his  face  by  the  lantern  he  was 
bearded  to  the  very  eyes." 

"Nonsense,  sirrah,"  said  the  officer  angrily;  "how 
dare  you  tell  such  a  story,  when  the  man  has  sat 
there  smoking  for  the  last  hour.  Come  here,  sir," 
he  continued,  drawing  a  pistol  from  his  belt,  "come, 
sir,"  he  added  more  savagely,  cocking  the  weapon 
as  he  spoke,  "move  at  once,  or  you  are  like  to  lie 
there  forever." 

Woodside  was  about  to  speak  for  the  prisoner  and 
suggest  that  perhaps  he  did  not  understand  the 
order,  given  as  it  was  in  a  foreign  tongue,  but  the 
report  rang  out  and  the  bullet  was  seen  to  cut  a 
shower  of  splinters  from  the  bough  against  which 
the  head  reclined;  but  still  the  bright  coal  at  the  end 
of  the  cigarito  remained  immovable,  and  the  major 
fairly  foamed  at  the  mouth  as  he  drew  his  second 
pistol. 

"If  you  can't  be  frightened,  you  may  be  hit,  ras- 


254  Cartagena 


cal,"  lie  cried  savagely.  "Ven  aca  hombre,  presto!  pres 
to!"  lie  essayed  in  Spanish,  but  no  movement  fol 
lowed,  and  this  time  the  hat  flew  off  and  the  body 
fell  to  the  ground.  The  men  rushed  in,  but  only  to 
find  that  Carlos  had  taken  advantage  of  the  care 
lessness  of  the  guard  and  the  shadow  of  the  tree 
to  use  a  part  of  his  garments  and  his  hat  in  con 
structing  a  rude  imitation  of  the  upper  part  of  a 
man,  to  which  the  semblance  of  a  lighted  cigarito 
was  added  by  fixing  a  bit  of  lighted  "spunk"  taken 
from  his  tinder  box,  on  the  end  of  a  stick. 

"Idiots,"  roared  the  officer  to  the  perplexed 
soldiers,  "if  he  escapes  it  shall  cost  you  dearly,  for 
no  man  could  pass  through  your  lines  unless  you 
knew  it  or  were  sleeping." 

"Thet's  so,"  said  Jones,  in  his  peculiar  nasal  tones, 
"but  he  never  did,  I  reckon." 

The  major  turned  in  utter  wonder  at  the  sang  froid 
of  the  American  in  thus  addressing  him,  but  Jones 
was  intently  eyeing  the  somewhat  perilous  bridge 
by  which  the  Catalan  had  passed  out  of  the  cordon 
of  sentinels  who  had  surrounded  him.  A  single 
greenheart  tree  grew  close  beside  the  cedar,  and  up 
and  down  its  smooth  trunk,  alternately  embracing 
it  and  the  branches  of  the  cedar,  a  multitude  of 
creeping  lianas,  from  the  size  of  a  ship's  cable  to  that 
of  a  small  line,  offered  a  ladder  by  which  any  man 
of  moderate  agility  might  climb  to  the  broad  and 
spreading  branches.  One  of  these,  the  largest, 
stretching  out  some  twenty:five  feet,  overhung  the 
opposite  limb  of  a  huge  macanilla,  which  stood  sur 
rounded  by  some  low  thorny  bushes,  and  which  from 


Opening  the  Trenches  255 

its  supposed  poisonous  qualities  had  been  studiously 
avoided  by  the  soldiers. 

"There's  plenty  o'  chance  fer  two  to  go  abreast 
over  thet  bridge,  an'  the  on'y  wonder  is  thet  he 
didn't  make  noise  enough  among  them  climbers  to 
be  heard  by  some  one." 

"Silence,  fellow!"  thundered  the  irate  major.  "Be 
off  with  you  and  try  to  cut  him  off,  for  I  see  he  has 
not  tried  to  cross  the  opening  here.  Twenty  guineas 
for  him,  alive  or  dead." 

The  men,  with  a  hoarse  cheer,  obeyed,  scattering 
into  the  woods  in  all  directions,  only  to  be  turned 
back  by  their  own  pickets,  who  assured  them  that  no 
one  had  passed  the  guarded  covered  way,  which,  cut 
to  an  uniform  width  of  two  rods,  lay  just  inside  the 
belt  of  vegetation  left  to  cover  their  siege  opera 
tions.  Stephen  and  Untequit,  with  Gibbs  and  Jones, 
still  in  a  state  of  boundless  indignation  at  what  they 
termed  the  "hastiness"  of  the  major,  took  a  different 
course. 

"  'Twas  no  fool  that  played  us  that  trick,"  said 
Stephen  quietly,  "and  when  the  rear's  unguarded  and 
he  knew  the  shore,  he  wasn't  likely  to  put  his  head 
right  into  the  trap,  I  think.  Unless  you  think  other 
wise,  sergeant,  let's  take  the  other  line  of  guards." 

Heading  to  the  northward,  they  rapidly  ques 
tioned  each  sentinel  until  they  were  told  that  but 
one  more  stood  between  them  and  the  sea.  "  'Tis  a 
long  tramp  he  has  sure,  an'  I've  not  seen  him  fer 
a  good  half-hour ;  an'  thin  he  said  that  he  reckoned 
he  had  heard  some  one  behind  him  down  by  the 
rocks  beyond." 


256  Cartagena 


"That's  it,"  cried  Jones,  with  a  strange  mixture 
of  triumph  and  horror  in  his  tone.  "Thar  was  some- 
thin'  in  the  bushes,  an'  I  reckon  somethin'  worse 
than  a  painter.  Look  out  fer  your  throat,  Pat,  ef 
thet's  your  name.  Come  on,  boys,  we've  no  time  to 
lose,"  and  leaving  the  puzzled  sentinel  they  rushed 
down  toward  the  beach. 

The  beaten  path  before  them  lay  open  and  unten- 
anted,  but  they  saw  the  sentinel,  as  he  stood  look 
ing  out  across  the  sea  where  the  great  war-ships  lay 
at  anchor,  and  the  bomb-ketches  from  time  to  time 
emitted  vivid  flashes  and  reeled  beneath  the  tre 
mendous  recoil  of  their  huge  mortars. 

He  heard  the  rush  of  the  coming  feet,  and  turned 
quickly  to  challenge  the  party;  a  white  form 
leaped  upon  him,  felled  him  to  the  earth,  and  the 
next  instant  was  leaping  like  a  deer  toward  the 
fortress  of  Boca  Chica. 

"After  him,  boys!"  shouted  Stephen,  as  he  dashed 
across  the  low  plain  tangled  wTith  thorny  cacti,  vines 
and  low  bushes,  wThile  Jones,  Gibbs  and  the  Indian 
with  vengeful  shouts  and  at  varying  angles,  essayed 
to  cut  off  the  fugitive,  who  made  for  the  low  cliff 
above  the  sea,  leading  down  to  the  hard  sands  be 
low,  for  the  tide  was  at  ebb.  Stephen  fired  from  the 
brow  of  the  cliff,  but  missed,  Jones  tripped  and  fell 
into  a  thicket  of  thornbushes  from  which  he  emerged 
sadly  torn  and  out  of  temper,  while  Gibbs,  firing  at 
long  range  but  practicable  distance,  inflicted  only  a 
slight  flesh  wound  which  made  the  fugitive  run  all 
the  faster. 

Untequit  alone,  silent  after  the  first  burst  of  ex- 


Opening  the  Trenches  257 

citement,  followed  on  down  the  cliff  and  up  the 
winding  beach,  making,  despite  his  heavy  accoutre 
ments,  wonderful  leaps,  that  carried  him  safely  over 
every  impediment,  and  rapidly  reduced  the  distance 
between  him  and  the  fugitive. 

But  now  the  Spanish  lines  were  close  at  hand,  and 
Carlos  uttered  a  despairing  shout  of  "Hola!  Amigos!" 
and  saw  not  fifty  yards  away  the  figure  of  a  Spanish 
sentinel  on  the  verge  of  the  upland,  while  close  by 
the  beach  the  -rattle  of  rowlocks  and  a  hoarse  hail 
warned  Untequit  that  his  chase  was  like  to  be  in 
vain. 

Dropping  on  one  knee,  he  fired  at  the  instant  the 
heavy  breech  struck  his  outstretched  hand,  but 
though  a  bitter  exclamation,  half  prayer,  half  curse, 
broke  from  the  Catalan's  lips,  the  soldier  kept  on  up 
the  cliffs,  whence  the  reserve  were  already  opening 
fire  on  his  daring  pursuer.  Untequit  was  in  the  act 
of  turning  to  retreat  when  he  gave  a  last  glance 
backward.  The  white  camiso  of  the  Catalan  gleamed 
close  against  the  top  of  the  escarpment,  when  sud 
denly  the  strong  arms  relaxed  their  hold  and  Carlos 
rolled  like  a  log  to  the  sands  below. 

Drawing  off  out  of  range,  scratched  and  breath 
less,  but  sternly  triumphant,  the  little  party  stood 
over  the  dead  sentinel  and  drew  from  his  breast 
the  needle-pointed  blade  and  silver-studded  handle 
of  the  Catalan's  knife;  and  later  reported  to  the 
choleric  major  and  Col.  Moore,  the  chief  engineer, 
the  result  of  their  chase. 

"I  am  glad  you  shot  him,"  said  the  latter  quietly, 
"for  although  he  was  a  brave  and  daring  man,  he 


258  Cartagena 


could  have  done  us  great  mischief,  had  he  told  them 
of  what  he  has  seen  us  doing  here.  You  think,  then, 
that  he  is  certainly  dead/'  he  added,  turning  to 
Stephen. 

"Untequit  said  that  he  sighted  him  by  his  white 
shirt,  and  that  he  fell  from  the  top  of  the  cliff,  which 
he  had  nearly  reached,  to  the  beach  below.  It  was 
unlikely  that  he  could  speak  when  taken  up." 

"We  will  hope  so,"  said  the  engineer  doubtfully, 
"so  keep  your  men  hard  at  it,  to  get  sufficient  force 
under  cover  to  work  the  flying  sap.  If  the  man  is 
dead  we  shall  have  our  battery  ready  to  open  in 
forty-eight  hours ;  if  he  can  tell  them  where  we  are 
we  shall  have  warm  work  before  daylight." 

Lieut.  Woodside,  in  the  absence  of  most  of  his 
party,  had  handed  over  Pepe  and  his  companions  to 
the  charge  of  a  midshipman  found  on  board  the  flag 
ship,  and  Hay  and  his  men,  joining  Captain  Stew 
art's  company,  plied  axe  and  spade  until  the  birds 
began  to  call  to  one  another,  and  they  knew  that  the 
first  dawn  drew  near  at  hand. 

The  lanterns  burned  wan  and  lazily  flared  under 
the  smoky  glasses;  the  colonists  weakened  by  their 
long  confinement  on  shipboard  staggered  under  the 
burdens  of  timber  such  as  they  had  often  borne  with 
ease  in  the  shipyards  of  the  north,  while  the  ne 
groes,  with  no  noise  or  excitement  to  stimulate  their 
brutal  strength,  plodded  along  with  barrow  and  fas 
cine  like  wearied  oxen,  and  almost  fell  asleep  over 
pick  and  shovel. 

Suddenly  the  clear  call  of  a  bugle  rang  out  from 
the  hostile  battlements,  and  wras  followed  by  a  single 


Opening  the  Trenches  259 

gun  from  the  Barredera  batteries  in  the  isle  of  Varu. 

The  large  shot  fell  near  the  mortar  battery,  rico- 
chetted,  and  striking  a  fascine  of  the  principal  work, 
killed  with  splinters  two  negroes  engaged  in  filling 
it,  and  struck  a  shovel  from  the  hands  of  a  third. 

A  general  stampede  began  which  was  promptly 
checked  by  the  guard,  while  the  engineer  in  charge 
attempted  to  soothe  their  fears. 

"  'Tis  only  a  chance  shot,"  said  he,  "and  not  un 
likely  fired  at  some  boat  from  our  fleet  that  has  ven 
tured  too  near  the  shore.  Drive  on  the  work,  gentle 
men,  until  daylight,  for  every  hour  that  they  let  us 
alone — " 

The  words  were  never  finished,  for  instantane 
ously  from  castle,  batteries  and  fleet,  a  storm  of 
heavy  shot  and  shell  searched  every  part  of  the 
woods  occupied  by  the  besiegers,  and  so  well  di 
rected  was  the  deadly  shower  that  even  the  best 
trained  troops  fled  for  shelter. 

Trees  were  broken  down  or  despoiled  of  their 
branches;  fascines  splintered,  thrown  down  and  de 
stroyed;  the  casks  of  the  mortar  battery  pierced  and 
shattered,  and  the  half  excavated  ditches,  deserted 
by  the  whilom  crowd  of  busy  workers,  were  left 
strewn  with  writhing  sappers  and  horribly  shattered 
fragments  of  what  a  short  moment  before  were 
living  men. 

Woodside  moved  his  squad  of  workers  into  a 
deeper  angle  of  the  ditch  and  encouraged  them  to 
increase  its  depth  and  their  own  safety;  and  other 
small  parties  at  salient  angles  of  the  works,  hastened 
all  the  more  to  raise  the  thick  mounds  and  prepare 
the  ground  for  the  platforms  of  the  heavy  guns. 


260  Cartagena 


But  all  the  while  the  storm  came  heavier  and 
fiercer;  the  pickets  and  their  reserve,  the  axemen 
and  the  negro  woodsmen,  with  machetes  and  bill 
hook,  and  even  the  regular  engineers,  with  their 
attendants  and  instruments,  fell  back  one  by  one 
from  the  more  exposed  situations,  and  drifted  by  the 
advanced  works  toward  the  safer  encampment.  It 
was  just  dawn  when  Col.  Moore  drew  his  horse  up  by 
the  battery,  where  a  twenty-four  pound  shot  had 
just  dashed  an  American  volunteer  twenty  feet  into 
the  air,  having  picked  him  out  from  the  very  centre 
of  a  group  of  four  or  five  engaged  in  setting  a 
fascine. 

"You  may  draw  off  your  men,  lieutenant,"  he 
shouted,  "for  we  are  discovered  and  must  approach 
by  more  regular  and  slower  means.  They  have  found 
us  out,  and  'twill  be  a  longer  job  than  I  had  hoped  to 
make  it."  He  wheeled  his  horse  and  galloped  off 
just  in  time  to  escape  a  shot  which  ploughed  a  deep 
furrow  through  the  mound  where  his  horse's  hoofs 
had  rested,  and  the  men,  awaiting  a  temporary  lull 
in  the  storm,  went  back  to  camp,  to  find  that  the 
guns  of  the  Barredera  batteries,  across  the  strait, 
had  already  sent  their  shot  with  fatal  effect  into 
their  very  leaguer. 

For  several  days  thereafter,  with  smaller  parties, 
work  in  the  trenches  was  resumed  with  fair  progress 
and  comparatively  little  loss  from  the  direct  fire  of 
the  fleet,  and  castles  of  Boca  Chica  and  St.  Joseph; 
but  the  enfilading  fire  from  the  batteries  on  the  oppo 
site  side  of  the  entrance  became  so  destructive  and 
fatal  that  it  was  decided  to  send  a  boat  expedition 


Opening  the  Trenches  201 

by  night  to  spike,  and  if  possible  destroy  the  cannon 
of  those  works,  which  could  not  readily  be  silenced 
by  the  fire  of  the  fleet 


Chapter  XVIII. 
The    Barradera    Batteries 

In  a  few  days  the  new  fort  became  a  formidable 
work,  and  the  mortar  battery  added  its  missiles  to 
the  bombs  of  the  fire-ships  and  the  shells  of  the  Lud- 
low  Castle;  which  ship  being  provided  with  a  large 
mortar,  gave  Don  Bias,  the  Spanish  admiral,  who 
commanded  at  Boca  Chica,  more  employment  and 
mental  anxiety  than  by  the  more  direct  fire  of  her 
heavy  battery. 

On  the  Isle  of  Varu,  opposite,  the  palms  moved 
gracefully  in  the  sea  breeze,  the  great  ceibas  and 
greenhearts  rose  majestically  from  copses  of  carob, 
myrabolans  and  cedar;  the  sandy  beach,  glaring 
snowy  white  in  the  noon-day  sun,  lay  skirted  closely 
by  the  living  green  of  the  jungle,  and  along  the 
whole  line  of  the  strand  one  at  times  could  see 
naught  that  betokened  the  presence  of  man. 

Then,  like  lightning  from  a  clear  sky,  jets  of  red 
flame  and  white  smoke  would  issue  from  the  wood, 
and  the  twenty-four  pounders  of  the  masked  bat 
teries  that  lay  ambushed  by  the  tropical  forest, 
swept  the  parapet  of  the  new  works  with  their  shells, 
and  even  slew  the  grenadiers  in  their  very  quarters 
in  the  main  encampment,  until  the  engineers,  repre 
senting  the  inadequacy  of  the  force  on  shore  to  the 
work  to  be  performed,  besought  the  admiral  that  he 
would  take  measures  to  silence  the  enfilading  fire  of 
the  Barradera  batteries. 


The  Barradera  Butteries  203 

The  udmiral  consented,  not  without  protests  and 
implied  censure  of  almost  everything  done  or  left 
undone  by  the  land  forces,  as  may  still  be  seen  by 
the  letters  and  minutes  of  the  siege,  published  by 
him  after  the  great  armada  had  miscarried ;  and  on 
the  17th  of  March,  at  a  council  of  war  held  on  board 
the  admiral's  ship,  it  was  determined  that  a  boat  at 
tack  should  be  made  on  the  batteries,  whose  fire  had 
proved  more  devastating  than  all  the  other  defences 
of  the  port. 

The  barges  and  pinnaces  of  the  fleet  were  told  off, 
each  having  fifteen  seamen  armed  with  cutlass  and 
pistol,  and  provided  with  hand  grenades,  who  were 
chosen  to  attack  the  works,  while  ten  marines  were 
to  follow  in  the  reserve,  and  meet  the  charge  of  the 
Spanish  infantry  in  case  of  repulse.  In  all  the  three 
divisions  there  were  nearly  a  thousand  men ;  and 
Capts.  Watson,  Norris  and  Colby,  of  Vernon's, 
Ogle's  and  Lestock's  divisions,  commanded  on  the 
right,  centre  and  left,  respectively,  while  Capts.  Bos- 
cawen,  Laws  and  Coates  were  to  command  the  ma 
rines  on  shore.  The  arrangements  were  made  with 
the  utmost  care  as  to  every  detail  of  movement  and 
equipment,  and  so  quietly  was  all  made  ready,  that 
even  on  shore,  in  the  British  camp,  none  but  those 
high  in  rank  knew  of  what  was  to  be  done  that 
night. 

The  Americans,  although  detailed  to  act  with  the 
others,  knew  nothing  of  the  work  in  store  for  them, 
and  lay  in  their  contracted  quarters  among  the  guns, 
looking  out  over  the  water,  watching  the  woods 
which  covered  the  Barradera  batteries,  and  trying  to 


264  Cartagena 


judge  of  the  extent  and  force  of  the  annoying  works. 
Their  lieutenant  stood  talking  with  Boscawen — the 
captain  of  marines,  who  was  to  lead  in  the  attack — 
on  the  break  of  the  quarter-deck,  not  far  distant,  and 
caught  a  part  of  the  following  remark  made  by  Hay, 
in  answer  to  something  Coggeshall  had  said  of  the 
number  of  guns  in  position. 

"You  may  be  right  as  to  the  number  of  guns,  but 
there  are  either  two  batteries  there,  or  a  very  long 
breastwork  with  guns  on  both  flanks." 

"How  do  you  know  that,  sergeant?"  asked  Wood- 
side,  quickly. 

Stephen  rose  to  his  feet  and  saluted,  then  sprang 
into  the  lower  rigging  and  pointed  to  the  battery  in 
question,  which  had  just  discharged  several  guns. 

"When  the  guns  nearest  us  are  fired,"  said  he,  "the 
smoke  rises  slower  and  lies  longer  than  from  those 
just  fired.  There  are  guns  planted  almost  on  the 
level  of  the  sea  there  and,  I  think,  in  swampy 
ground." 

"You  may  come  up  here,  sir,"  said  Ashton,  the 
lieutenant  on  duty.  "Williams,  my  glass.  Now,  sir, 
let  us  see  if  your  eyes  are  any  sharper  than  ours." 

Hay  took  the  glass,  and  watched  the  cannonade, 
which  was  heavy  and  continuous,  although  every 
gun  was  evidently  carefully  pointed  before  firing. 
"There  are  at  least  three  guns  this  side  of  the  dead 
tree  that  stands  near  the  second  point,"  he  said. 

"  'Tis  impossible,"  said  Boscawen,  a  little  obsti 
nately,  "no  man  in  his  senses  would  put  cannon  in 
such  a  place  as  that,  with  high  land  and  a  better 
range  on  both  sides  of  him.  There's  only  one  work 
to  carry,  I'll  lay  my  life." 


The  Barradcra   Hat  lories  265 

Woodside  laid  his  finger  011  his  lip,  while  Ashton 
ahemmed  significantly,  but  Hay  gave  no  sign  that  he 
comprehended  the  significance  of  the  remark,  as  he 
answered,  "I  may  be  wrong,  but  I  think  I  can  catch 
the  gleam  of  a  brass  gun  through  the  foliage.  There 
is  a  man  below,  however,  who  can  beat  any  of  us 
when  it  comes  to  the  strongest  and  quickest  eye 
sight.  Let  him  be  sent  for,  and  just  ask  him  if  he 
sees  anything  where  that  line  of  cedars  looks  broken 
and  open." 

The  Indian  came,  and  was  pointed  to  the  spot.  For 
a  moment  or  two  he  looked  steadily  through  the  long 
tube,  then  laid  aside  the  glass  and  turned  to  Wood- 
side:  "I  see  a  brass  gun  just  this  side  of  yonder  dead 
tree." 

"It  can't  be,"  insisted  Boscawen.  "There  may  be 
a  pond  or  slough  with  the  glint  of  the  sun  upon  it, 
but  there  are  no  guns,  except  those  of  the  battery 
whose  fascines  you  can  see  plainly  enough  on  the 
hill." 

"Well,"  said  Ashton  laughingly,  "we  shall  know 
all  about  it  before  many  days,  I  hope.  You  may  go, 
sergeant.  No!  stay  a  moment;  this  way,  if  you 
please." 

"Can  you  land  me  on  that  beach  tonight?"  asked 
the  officer  in  a  low  tone. 

"The  sea  is  too  high  now  to  do  it  safely,  and  it  is 
growing  wrorse  every  moment.  We  shall  not  go  to 
night,  sir,"  said  Hay,  quietly. 

Ashton  stared  at  the  speaker.  "Who  has  dared, 
sir? —  There,  never  mind  that.  Let  me  advise  you 
to  keep  whatever  you  think  to  yourself,  for  a  com 
mon  soldier  should  not  know — " 


266  Cartagena 


"Too  much,  you  were  about  to  say,  sir,"  said  Hay 
composedly.  "  'Tis  a  lesson  we  Americans  find 
hard  to  learn,  and  especially  in  matters  of  life  and 
death.  If  Captain  Boscawen  lands  us,  however,  un 
der  cover  of  that  point,  God  grant  the  Spaniards 
know  nothing  of  our  approach,  or  we  are  like  to  lose 
more  brave  men  than  we  can  spare." 

"A  score,  more  or  less,  we  can  spare,"  answered 
Ashton  haughtily;  "and  I  know  you  will  not  let  your 
fears  keep  you  from  doing  your  duty.  If  I  did  not, 
you  should  pass  the  night  under  guard  and  in  irons." 

"Ah,  sir!"  said  Hay  sadly,  "such  men  as  I  are  out 
of  place  here,  for  I  count  every  life  lost  to  no  pur 
pose,  whether  for  want  of  proper  food,  attendance 
and  shelter,  or  through  useless  delays  and  reckless 
leadership,  as  a  terrible  offense  for  which  some  one 
must  account  before  the  last  dread  tribunal  here 
after.  But  if  I  speak  plainly  to  you,  I  am  silent 
among  the  men ;  and  to  you  I  would  offer  one  piece 
of  advice.  If  you  land  yonder,  get  your  men  into 
yonder  cove  as  soon  as  you  may." 

Ashton  nodded  slightly  in  token  of  dismissal ;  but 
Hay  knew  from  his  thoughtful  mood  as  he  walked 
briskly  back  and  forth,  that  he  would  not  slight  the 
warning  he  had  given.  The  attack,  however,  did  not 
take  place  that  night,  for  a  slight  gale  came  on,  and 
the  fleet  had  much  ado  for  the  next  thirty-six  hours 
to  hold  their  anchorage  and  replace  cables  and  an 
chors  lost  on  that  foul  mooring  ground. 

On  the  19th  of  the  month,  however,  the  sun  set 
clear  and  beautiful  amid  an  almost  oppressive  calm, 
although  in  the  twilight  the  land  breeze  rose,  cover- 


The  Barradera  Batteries  2(57 

ing  the  sea  with  a  gentle  ripple,  and  helping  to 
drown  the  sounds  of  brisk  preparation  which  began 
with  the  first  shadow  of  night. 

By  eight  o'clock  the  men  were  in  their  boats,  with 
theirs  arms  loaded,  their  matches  cased  but  burning, 
their  oars  carefully  muffled,  and  at  the  signal — the 
hoisting  of  a  lantern  at  the  peak  of  the  Boyne — the 
boats  moved  noiselessly  out  from  under  the  lee  of 
their  respective  ships,  and  led  by  Captain  Watson,  in 
the  twelve-oared  barge  of  the  admiral  himself, 
moved  silently  toward  the  Island  of  Varu,  not  a 
league  distant. 

Near  him  and  within  hail,  the  light  whaleboat 
moved  like  a  wraith,  under  the  long,  silent  strokes 
of  the  colonists,  and  Woodside  wondered  at  the 
deathly  silence  as  he  looked  to  either  side  and 
saw  the  other  divisions  moving  in  beautiful  order, 
in  parallel  lines  with  the  central  boats. 

"There's  the  point,"  whispered  Hay,  suddenly,  as 
the  low,  dense  wall  of  the  jungle  rose  close  before 
them,  and  the  next  moment  a  musket  flashed  out  of 
its  cover  and  the  ball  struck  close  to  the  boat. 

"Give  way,  men,"  said  Watson,  sharply.  "Run 
her  ashore  and  charge  into  the  woods  at  once."  The 
men  rose  at  every  stroke  of  their  oars,  and  the  next 
moment  half  a  dozen  boats  were  stranded,  their  sea 
men  rushing,  cutlass  in  hand,  into  the  cover,  and  the 
marines  more  deliberately  forming  on  the  beach. 

Woodside's  party  were  with  the  foremost,  and  as 
Stephen  saw  before  him  a  wall  of  fascines,  defended 
by  sharp  palisades,  he  bethought  him  of  the  brass 
piece,  seen  through  the  ship's  glass,  and  catching 


268  Cartagena 


Woodside's  arm  drew  him  to  the  right  to  Hank  the 
battery;  and  as  the  grenades,  with  their  sputtering 
fuses,  began  to  fly  over  the  parapet,  he  saw  the  dis 
charge  of  the  first  cannon  and  heard  the  cheers  be 
hind  him  turn  to  groans,  curses  and  screams  of 
agony. 

"On,  to  the  rear  boys,"  cried  Woodside.  "Down 
with  the  palisades,"  shouted  Ashton ;  and  while  the 
axes  of  his  boarders  rang  against  the  tough  iron- 
wood,  Hay  took  from  the  ground  a  huge  picket  and, 
placing  it  between  two  of  the  posts,  called  to  the 
men  to  pry  down  the  obstruction.  A  dozen  rushed 
forward  to  add  their  strength  to  his  and,  although 
the  steel  of  the  axes  broke  like  brittle  glass  against 
the  tough  qucbracha  wood,  the  sandy  soil  could  not 
resist  the  strain,  and  a  section  bent  outward,  the 
fastenings  gave  way,  and  a  moment  later  half  a 
dozen  logs  had  been  thrown  down,  and  a  stream  of 
men  were  pouring  over  the  palisade,  striking,  thrust 
ing,  shouting,  careless  of  life  and  fearless  of  death. 
Pitting  pistol  against  musket,  the  short  cutlass 
against  rapier  and  Toledo,  and  opposing  catlike 
agility  and  native  courage  to  the  heavier  weapons 
and  better  vantage  ground  of  their  adversaries,  the 
English  sailors  writhed  through  palisades,  chevaux 
dc  frise  and  the  narrow  embrasures,  swarmed  over 
fascine,  gabion  and  parapet,  and  after  a  brief  but 
bloody  contest  found  themselves  in  possession  of  a 
small  lunette,  mounting  five  guns,  and  advanced 
some  two  hundred  yards  to  seaward  of  the  main 
battery,  where  the  long  roll  was  already  furiously 
calling  its  defenders  to  arms  to  repel  the  unexpected 
attack. 


The  Barradera  Batteries  269 

For  a  moment  or  two  there  was  some  confusion 
and  needless  bloodshed  where  Hay  and  his  com 
panions  had  entered ;  for  a  few  of  the  Spanish  artill 
erists,  with  their  sponges  and  rammers,  had  terribly 
mangled  several  of  their  assailants,  and  it  needed 
all  that  authority  could  effect  to  make  them  give 
quarter  and  reform  for  the  greater  task  before  them. 

"Fall  in  and  fall  on!"  cried  Boscawen,  waving  his 
sword,  as  he  stood  in  the  centre  of  the  work.  "Five 
guns  are  well  enough,  but  we  want  the  fifteen  up 
yonder." 

As  he  spoke  a  gun  thundered  on  the  hill  above,  and 
a  shower  of  grape  shot  rattled  into  the  works,  killing 
and  wrounding  several  around  him. 

"We  must  take  it  or  lose  more  men,"  cried  Coates, 
a  brother  officer  of  marines,  as  he  dashed  out  at  the 
rear  of  the  work.  "Forward,  men!  save  your  fire 
and  go  in  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet." 

A  second  gun  thundered  from  the  battery,  cutting 
a  gap  in  the  swarm  of  advancing  sailors,  but  they 
only  cheered  in  answer  and  dashed  on  at  speed, 
brandishing  their  cutlasses  and  blowing  their 
matches  to  keep  them  alive  and  red. 

"Away  with  you,  Burfords!"  "On  with  you, 
Boynes !"  "Don't  let  them  beat  you,  Suffolks !"  "At 
them,  Tilburys!"  cried  captain,  lieutenant,  reefer 
and  warrant  officer,  as  with  a  rush  they  reached  the 
brow  of  the  eminence,  took  without  flinching  the 
musketry  fire  from  the  black  ramparts  above  them, 
and,  launching  a  shower  of  grenades  into  the  fort 
over  the  parapets,  followed  them  with  an  elan  which 
carried  all  before  it;  and  by  the  time  the  slower  ma- 


270  Cartagena 


rines  had  entered  the  fort,  it  was  taken,  its  guns 
were  spiked,  and  all  was  ready  for  the  heavier  but 
no  less  important  work  of  destruction. 

Strong  parties  were  at  once  detailed  to  follow  up 
the  retreating  foe  sufficiently  far  to  give  timely 
warning  of  a  coming  attack,  and  then  the  victors 
gave  themselves  to  the  wrork  of  destroying  the  tro 
phies,  which  they  could  not  hope  then  to  remove. 

The  guns  were  spiked  and  dismounted,  the  heavy 
platforms  torn  up,  and  the  materials,  with  the  mas 
sive  carriages  of  the  cannon,  the  rammers,  sponges, 
buckets,  and  other  ordnance  material,  piled  to 
gether,  and  the  whole  given  to  the  flames,  together 
with  the  camp  equipage  of  the  garrison. 

Then,  giving  a  final  cheer  of  triumph,  the  victors 
moved  off  to  their  boats,  and  in  good  order  returned 
to  the  fleet,  whose  battle  lanterns  had  been  lighted 
in  the  open  ports,  and  wrhose  crews  at  their  ap 
proach  greeted  their  comrades  with  applauding 
shouts,  which  were  taken  up  by  the  army  on  shore, 
and  passed  on  from  the  camp  to  the  trenches,  until 
even  the  reserve  of  the  picket  guard  made  them 
heard  by  the  mortified  enemy. 

It  was  a  sore  blow  to  the  hopes  of  Don  Sebastian 
de  Eslava,  the  governor  of  Cartagena,  and  more  es 
pecially  to  Don  Bias,  the  admiral  of  the  fleet  and 
commandant  at  Boca  Chica;  and  the  very  next  day 
a  strong  scouting  party  was  sent  out  across  the 
island  of  Tierra  Bomba  to  see  what  communi 
cation  took  place  between  the  forts  and  the  city,  and 
whether  farther  reinforcements  were  sen4  to  defend 
the  entrance  of  the  port. 


The  Barradera  Batteries  271 

Two  days  later,  they  reported  the  arrival  of  new 
guns  and  supplies,  with  small  reinforcements  from, 
the  vessels  of  war  lying  near  the  city  walls;  and 
when,  on  the  21st  of  March,  the  new  batteries  began 
to  play  on  Boca  Chica,  an  occasional  shot  from  the 
Barradera  batteries,  fired  with  the  old  annoying  pre 
cision,  did  far  more  execution  in  camp  and  trench 
than  the  heavier,  direct  fire  of  the  sorely  pressed 
Castle  of  Boca  Chica. 

A  ship,  ordered  to  drive  the  men  from  the  guns, 
failed  utterly,  as,  after  her  fire  became  too  heavy, 
the  Spaniards  simply  got  under  cover;  and,  as  in 
those  days  direct  fire  with  shell  was  unknown,  the 
vessel  and  her  crew  suffered  materially,  and  as  soon 
as  she  retired  out  of  range,  the  Spaniards  began 
again  to  rake  the  breaching  battery  on  Tierra 
Bomba. 

It  soon  became  necessary,  therefore,  to  repeat  the 
exploit  of  carrying  the  batteries;  and,  as  no  one 
knew  with  what  force  the  enemy  had  reoccupied 
Varu,  it  was  decided  that  the  second  attack  should 
take  place  by  daylight,  and  should  also  be  followed 
up  by  a  reconnoisance  in  force,  which  should  enable 
the  fleet  to  make  a  strong  demonstration  on  the 
castle  of  St.  Joseph,  opposite  that  of  St.  Louis  de 
Boca  Chica. 

Previously,  however,  the  American  brigade,  with 
such  of  the  Jamaican  negroes  as  had  not  been  killed 
by  the  enemy's  fire,  in  a  single  night,  that  of  the 
20th  of  March,  laid  low  all  the  dense  forest  of 
tangled  vines,  shrubs,  trees  and  lianas,  which,  like  a 
mask,  had  covered  the  heavy  batteries  erected  under 


272  Cartagena 


the  superintendence  of  Colonel  Moore.  These  in 
cluded  the  grand  battery  of  twenty-one  twenty-four 
pounders,  and  the  mortar  battery  of  two  large  and 
twenty-four  small  Coehorns,  so  called  from  the  in 
ventor,  Baron  Coehorn.  These  light  mortars  of 
bronze,  provided  with  a  simple  carriage  consisting 
of  a  block  of  wood  with  two  handles  by  which  even 
two  artillerists  could  move  them  from  place  to  place, 
could,  nevertheless,  send  their  small  shell  with  great 
force  and  accuracy  into  besieged  places,  and  were 
at  that  day  justly  considered  of  great  use  in  assault 
ing  large  works. 

It  was  with  great  surprise  that  the  Spaniards,  on 
the  morning  of  the  21st,  saw  a  levelled  forest,  and 
batteries  which  seemed  to  have  sprung  from  the 
ground  as  if  by  magic,  and,  for  a  time,  they  quailed 
under  the  tremendous  fire  of  the  guns,  which  were 
chiefly  worked  by  details  of  men  from  the  fleet;  and 
the  garrison  suffered  heavily  from  the  steady  rain 
of  huge  bombs  and  small  shells  from  the  fleet  and 
the  battery  just  noted.  But  they  soon  found  that 
their  walls  were  as  yet  tenable,  and  returned  the 
fire  with  an  accuracy  and  intensity  which  argued  ill 
for  the  besiegers,  and  determined  the  admiral  to  op 
pose  a  part  of  his  fleet  to  the  seaward  face  of  Boca 
Chica ;  which  could  be  done  by  a  limited  number  of 
ships,  without  coining  under  the  fire  of  the  Spanish 
fleet  and  the  large  fort  of  St.  Joseph. 


Chapter  XIX. 
The  Taking  of  Boca  Chica 

It  is  difficult  at  this  day  to  determine,  which  of  the 
leaders  of  the  English  forces  were  most  to  blame  in 
the  incessant  disputes  and  evident  ill-feeling,  which, 
thinly  disguised  under  the  seeming  calm  of  official 
verbiage,  is  nevertheless  fully  patent  in  the  orders, 
communications  and  petitions  which,  in  later  years, 
were  published  for  the  attempted  exculpation  of  the 
various  branches  of  the  service,  from  the  deserved 
condemnation  of  the  British  public. 

Certain  it  is,  however,  that  on  Col.  Moore,  the 
leader  of  the  engineer  corps,  no  deserved  reproach 
seems  to  rest;  and  in  the  light  of  similar  modern 
achievements,  it  would  seem  that  the  erection  of  ef 
fective  breaching  and  mortar  batteries  within  less 
than  ten  days,  under  the  fire  of  four  forts  and  bat 
teries,  and  as  many  heavy  men-of-war,  should  have 
satisfied  even  the  doughty  and  energetic  Vernon 
himself. 

But,  although  the  fire  of  the  battery,  when  once 
begun,  never  slackened  by  day  or  night,  and  red-hot 
balls,  round  shot  and  shell,  alternated  with  rounds 
of  grape,  rapidly  reduced  the  curtains  of  Boca  Chica 
castle  to  rubble,  and  materially  lessened  the  force  of 
seamen  and  marines  which,  under  Don  Bias,  the 
admiral  of  the  fleet,  seems  to  have  constituted  its 
only  defenders,  Vernon  chafed  angrily  at  the  delay; 
and  ever  saw  the  mighty  apparition  of  the  combined 


274  Cartagena 


French  and  Spanish  fleets  coming  down  with  the 
trade  winds,  to  catch  his  weakened  ships  between 
their  recruited  forces  and  the  still  formidable  de 
fences  between  him  and  Cartagena. 

Therefore,  on  the22d  of  March,  after  much  debate, 
he  determined  to  allow  a  part  of  his  fleet  to  bom 
bard  the  seaward  face  of  Boca  Chica,  and  the  Span 
ish  vessels;  and  accordingly,  Commodore  Lestock, 
with  the  huge  Boyne,  Suffolk,  Prince  Frederick  and 
Hampton  Court,  was  ordered  to  take  part  in  the 
bombardment. 

On  the  morning  of  the  23d,  the  division  deliber 
ately  moved  in  with  the  sea-breeze,  and,  taking  posi 
tion  between  the  captured  castle  of  St.  Jago  and 
Boca  Chica,  anchored  as  near  as  possible  to  the  shore 
of  Tierra  Bomba,  and,  by  means  of  springs  upon 
their  cables,  under  a  tremendous  fire  worked  silently 
into  position,  until,  their  guns  having  been  brought 
to  bear,  they  were  lost  from  view  under  the  murky 
smoke  of  their  heavy  batteries. 

Moving  more  to  starboard,  Sir  Chaloner  Ogle  sent 
in  the  Princess  Amelia  and  Norfolk  to  batter  St. 
Joseph  and  also  the  Barradera  batteries,  which  al 
ready  had  several  guns  in  position;  and  these  ships 
were  further  supported  to  some  extent  by  the  Cum 
berland  and  other  ships,  less  boldly  advanced,  while 
the  rest  of  the  great  fleet  lay  idly  at  their  anchorage; 
although  some  brave  captains,  like  Knowles  of  the 
Weymouth,  who  had  desired  .permission  to  grapple 
and  cut  through  the  boom,  saw  no  reason  why  such 
a  force  as  theirs  should  not  silence  the  guns  of  the 
forts  and  take  the  four  ships  of  Don  Bias. 


The  Taking  of  Boca  Ohica  275 

But  partial  measures  prevailed,  and  all  day  long 
the  heavy,  suffocating  vapors  covered  battery  and 
war-ships,  where,  choked  with  sulphurous  fumes, 
and  fainting  under  the  tropical  sun,  Spaniards  and 
Englishmen  struggled  uselessly  for  victory ;  useless 
ly,  we  say,  for  at  nightfall,  when  the  ships  drew  off, 
with  a  heavy  loss  of  men  and  material,  the  Spaniards 
still  stood  to  their  guns,  and  the  cannon  of  the  Bar- 
radera  had  proved  their  efficacy  in  camp  and  battery; 
killing  in  the  latter  the  brave  Col.  Moore,  as  he 
stood  watching  the  effect  of  his  steadily  and  care^ 
fully  directed  fire. 

Indeed,  it  became  painfully  apparent  that  only  in 
a  concentrated  assault  of  men,  batteries  and  ships 
could  lie  a  reasonable  hope  of  immediately  securing 
the  possession  of  the  works  of  the  besieged;  and 
again  the  men  of  the  fleet  were  told  off  for  another 
attempt  on  the  outworks  of  the  island  of  Varu. 

But  on  the  next  day  the  same  ships  repeated  the 
bombardment  of  the  day  before,  while  Capts.  Wat 
son  and  Coates  under  cover  of  the  smoke  landed  on 
Varu,  carried  the  guns  lately  mounted,  utterly 
ruined  the  works  for  further  use,  and  burned  a  small 
sloop,  which  had  conveyed  thither  the  cannon,  men 
and  ammunition;  returning  to  the  ships  with  little 
loss,  although  the  attack  was  made  at  high  noon. 

But  the  ships,  although  partially  successful  in 
silencing  the  guns  of  the  fort,  found  the  metal  of 
the  Spanish  war-ships  and  St.  Joseph  far  heavier 
than  their  own,  and  were  glad  to  haul  off  in  the  af 
ternoon,  with  heavy  loss. 

Lord  Aubrey  Beauclerc  De  Vere,  of  the  Prince 


276  Cartagena 


Frederick,  was  slain  on  his  own  quarter-deck.  Le- 
stock  himself  let  the  splendid  Boyne  lie  too  far  out  in 
the  swift  channel,  and  she  was  mercilessly  raked  un 
til  her  bulwarks  were  torn  to  splinters,  and  her  masts 
and  rigging  so  cut  up,  that  Lord  Vernon,  in  very 
desperation  at  the  state  of  some  of  the  best  vessels 
of  his  fleet,  ordered,  on  the  25th,  that  the  assault 
should  be  made  at  nightfall;  and  Capt.  Knowles, 
with  grim  joy,  received  orders  to  join  his  brother 
officers,  Watson  and  Coates,  in  a  diversion  on  tho 
Barradera  batteries  and  the  isolated  castle  of  St. 
Joseph. 

Accordingly  the  boats  were  got  ready,  with  the 
same  complement  of  ten  seamen  and  fifteen  marine! 
to  each  as  in  the  former  expeditions,  while  the 
barge  of  the  Weymouth  was  furnished  with  several 
swrivels  and  Coehorn  mortars,  with  which  to  create 
a  panic  among  the  defenders  by  a  shower  of  shells 
and  grape  shot. 

At  dark,  the  storming  party  were  in  the  trenches, 
led  by  the  forlorn  hope  of  twelve  grenadiers  under 
their  sergeant,  and  ready  with  lighted  matches  to 
throw  over  the  walls  a  shower  of  the  destructive  mis 
siles  which  wrere  formerly  the  peculiar  arm  of  their 
service.  A  picked  body  of  fifty  of  their  comrades  on 
their  left  formed  the  reserve,  who,  with  bullet  and 
bayonet,  were  to  ascend  the  precarious  footing  and 
deadly  trou  tfcnfcr  of  the  still  scarcely  practicable 
breach;  and  six  hundred  men  of  Bland's  and  Whin- 
yard's  regiments,  with  small  parties  of  the  colonists 
and  the  Jamaican  negroes  with  scaling  ladders,  axes, 
fascines  and  grenades,  were  ready  to  act  on  the 
flanks. 


The  Taking  of  Boca  Ckica  277 

As  the  sun  went  down,  the  fire  slackened  and  died 
awray  until  only  an  occasional  shot  thundered  across 
the  water  or  hurtled  over  the  bullet-seamed  inter 
val  between  the  forts;  but  Don  Bias  felt  in  the  air 
the  coming  of  the  storm,  and,  feeling  that  his  forces 
were  inadequate  to  the  struggle,  began  to  make 
preparations  for  flight,  rather  than  for  a  resistance 
to  the  death. 

And  so  while  the  soldiers  lay  like  hounds  in  the 
leash,  waiting  for  the  word  to  advance,  and  while  the 
boats  were  stealing  silently  out  from  under  the 
shadow  of  the  war  ships  to  the  shores  of  the  Barra- 
dera,  the  seamen  on  the  walls  knew  that  their  boats 
lay  ready  to  bear  them  to  the  distant  city ;  the  com 
bustibles  were  ready  piled  in  barracks  and  hold;  and 
the  apertures  which  were  to  sink  across  the  channel, 
the  huge  hulks  of  the  Galicia  and  her  sister  ships, 
only  awaited  the  finishing  blows  of  the  axe,  which 
should  let  in  a  torrent  which  scores  of  pumps  and 
the  strength  of  hundreds  of  men  should  essay  in 
vain  to  diminish  or  counteract.  A  great  calm  fell 
over  all  as  the  hour  drew  near,  and  the  gunners  as 
they  stood  by  their  charged  pieces,  the  engineers 
who  saw  the  matrosses  holding  their  portfires  by  the 
three  Coehorns  whose  shells  were  to  be  the  signal 
for  attack,  and  the  surgeons  awaiting  in  the  cock 
pits  the  shock  and  thunder  of  the  ready  batteries, 
were  silent  as  the  grave  or  spoke  only  below  their 
breath. 

At  last  the  final  preparations  were  concluded  and 
the  word  was  given.  The  matrosses  applied  their 
matches,  the  shells  hurtled  into  mid-heaven  and  fell 


278  Cartagena 


one  after  another  into  the  enceinte  of  Boca  Chica. 
Then  from  battery,  frigate  and  war  ship  hurtled  a 
shower  of  missiles  to  which  the  heaviest  fire  of  the 
previous  days  was  as  the  opening  skirmish  of  a  de 
cisive  battle,  and  the  Spaniards  on  the  battered 
walls  shrank  from  the  hail  of  grape,  langrage,  bar 
and  chainshot,  bursting  shell  and  red-hot  balls, 
which  searched  every  foot  of  parapet  and  traverse 
and  wrought  sad  havoc  even  in  the  ships  beyond 
them.  Then  the  fire  of  the  shore  batteries  slowly 
slackened  as  the  head  of  the  advancing  column  ad 
vanced,  led  by  a  Spanish  pilot,  who,  prompted  by  the 
hope  of  reward  and  menaced  with  instant  death  by 
the  bayonets  of  his  guard,  walked  before  the  for 
lorn  hope. 

At  the  very  foot  of  the  breach  they  stood,  amid 
shattered  masonry  and  splintered  palisades,  and 
the  men,  opening  their  pouches,  began  to  blow7  their 
matches  and  handle  their  grenades  before  their  pres 
ence  was  discovered ;  and  as  the  first  musket  shot  its 
fire  into  their  faces,  they  raised  their  wrar-cry  and 
dashed  up  the  ascent  of  the  breach.  Few,  indeed, 
lived  to  see  the  result  of  the  showrer  of  grenades 
wrhich  hurtled  from  their  hands  into  the  mass  of 
dark  faces  and  levelled  tubes  before  them;  but  the 
reserve  came  on  fiercely  close  behind,  and,  although 
Col.  Whinyard  was  killed,  and  Col.  Gooch  was  car 
ried  to  the  rear,  wounded  in  both  thighs,  the  troops 
dashed  in  and  the  fort  was  won. 

Then  burst  upon  the  night  the  flames  of  the  great 
St.  Phillip,  her  eighty  guns  exploding  as  the  confla 
gration,  fed  by  masses  of  combustibles,  swept  from 


The  Taking  of  Boca  Chica  279 

deck  to  deck  and  writhed  from  spar  to  spar,  and 
the  bay  was  lurid  with  light,  as  her  sister  ships, 
the  great  St.  Carlos,  Africa  and  Cassadada,  deserted 
by  their  crews,  were  seen  to  go  down  at  their  an 
chorage  beside  the  huge  floating  boom,  which,  with 
the  exception  of  the  castle  of  St.  Joseph,  and  the 
Gallicia,  the  flag-ship  of  Don  Bias,  alone  remained  of 
the  strong  harbor  defences  of  Cartagena. 

In  the  meantime  the  boat  expedition  had  safely 
landed  its  men,  who  moving  carefully  up  the  shore 
of  the  Baru  had  occupied  without  resistance  the  de 
serted  batteries,  and  pressing  on  beheld  the  short 
defense  and  final  capture  of  the  principal  fort,  while 
seeking  to  approach  the  island  castle  of  St.  Joseph, 
and  with  mingled  rage  and  disappointment  found 
that  nature  had  proved  stronger  than  art,  and  that 
deep  mud  and  tangled  mangroves,  covered  waist 
deep  with  water,  were  obstacles  not  to  be  overcome 
by  human  agility  or  the  most  desperate  courage.  A 
few  marines  and  sailors  essayed  in  vain  the  impass 
able  slough,  while  the  rest,  scarcely  noticed  by  the 
flying  enemy,  gazed  at  the  sinking  ships  and  de 
serted  forts.  But  suddenly  a  commotion  was  noticed 
among  the  bushes,  and  the  light  whaler,  drawn  by 
her  crew  and  a  few  stragglers,  was  set  down  at  the 
water's  edge.  The  example  was  quickly  followed, 
and  half  a  dozen  or  more  of  the  lighter  boats  were 
emptied  of  their  heavier  appurtenances,  borne 
across  the  island  and  launched  into  the  inner  bay. 

Fort  St.  Joseph  was  first  visited,  but  no  fire  was 
opened  from  its  deserted  bastions,  and  the  portal 
stood  open,  the  draw-bridge  lowered,  the  lanterns 


280  Cartagena 


unlit,  while  all  around  were  the  evidences  of  hasty 
flight  and  careless  desertion.  Only  one  man,  maud 
lin  with  over-much  wine,  brandishing  an  unlighted 
torch  beside  the  tar-smeared  door  of  the  magazine, 
and  bearing  the  evidences  of  recent  wounds,  in  a 
bandaged  shoulder  and  an  useless  arm  slung  in  a 
silken  kerchief,  remained  of  all  the  men  who  for 
two ,  days  had  so  sternly  answered  the  fire  and 
quelled  the  courage  of  Lestock's  trained  seamen. 

When  seized,  his  hand,  as  if  instinctively,  sought 
the  sheath  at  his  belt,  but  it  was  empty,  and  with  a 
laugh,  grim  even  in  its  maudlin  inebriety,  he  yielded 
to  the  will  of  his  captors  and  sank  into  a  drunken 
sleep  in  a  nook  beside  the  southern  platform ;  while 
the  boats,  leaving  a  small  guard,  rowed  off  to  the 
Gallicia,  on  board  of  which  some  score  of  men  were 
still  to  be  seen. 

These,  however,  deserted  by  their  comrades  and 
unable  to  fight  or  flee,  yielded  without  question,  and 
by  midnight  of  the  25th  of  March,  1741,  the  first 
great  move  on  the  chessboard  of  the  siege  had  been 
won  by  the  English,  and  to  all  appearance  the 
speedy  fall  of  Cartagena  was  a  foregone  conclusion. 

As  for  our  friends  of  the  crew  of  the  whaler,  they 
were  kept  busy  until  daylight,  when  they  lay  down 
in  the  captured  vessel  to  rest  after  the  fatigues  and 
excitement  of  the  night  before;  but  as  they  did  so, 
Coggeshall  turned  to  Stephen,  and  remarked: 

"Did  you  notice  thet  drunken  fellow  at  the  castle 
last  night?  It  seems  to  me  thet  I  have  seen  him  be 
fore." 

"Very  likely  you  have,"  answered  Stephen,  quietly. 


The  Taking  of  Boca  Chica  281 

"Untequit  here  did  not  kill  the  Spanish  marine,  as 
we  thought;  and  if  he  had  not  left  his  knife  in  the 
sentinel's  heart  that  night,  we  might,  some  of  us, 
have  lost  more  blood  at  the  hand  of  Carlos,  the  Cata 
lan  marine,  as  poor  Pepe  used  always  to  call  him." 

"We'll  hev  him  hung  to-morrow,"-  grumbled  Jones 
angrily. 

"What  for?"  asked  Hay,  sleepily.  "  'Twas  his  duty 
to  get  off  if  he  could,  and  it  was  not  his  fault  that 
he  had  to  use  subtlety  to  make  a  short  knife  better 
than  bullet  and  bayonet.  He's  a  brave  fellow,  and 
I  hope  will  get  well  of  the  bullet  you  gave  him,  Un 
tequit." 

And,  without  farther  conversation,  they  inconti 
nently  fell  asleep. 


Chapter  XX. 

News  From  the  Expedition 

It  was  nearly  a  month  after  the  events  described 
in  the  last  chapter,  that  news  of  the  first  success  of 
the  combined  forces  reached  the  northern  colonies; 
for,  although  Admiral  Vernon  promptly  despatched 
the  Spence  sloop  under  Captain  Laws  with  des 
patches  to  England,  via  Jamaica,  it  was  only  by  let 
ters  sent  to  that  centre  of  British  naval  operations, 
and  afterwards  forwarded  by  packets  and  priva 
teers,  that  the  press  and  people  of  the  northern  colo 
nies  learned  of  the  first  victories  of  the  great  ex 
pedition. 

It  was  on  the  morning  of  the  1st  of  June,  next 
ensuing,  that,  as  the  household  at  Ploughed  Neck 
had  seated  themselves  around  the  breakfast  table, 
set  out  with  snow-white,  but  coarse  linen,  on  which 
were  arrayed  the  huge  pewter  chargers,  platters, 
plates,  porringers,  mugs,  and  other  articles  of  metal 
no  longer  known  to  the  descendants  of  the  men  of 
those  days,  that  the  road  of  a  heavy  gun  came  up 
from  the  bay  to  the  north  and  east  on  the  ocean 
breeze,  which,  just  strong  enough  to  rustle  the 
fringy  foliage  of  the  great  locust  tree  by  the  foot  of 
the  lane  before  the  house-yard,  gently  rattled  the 
cheap  shades  of  stout  green  paper,  which,  after  the 
fashion  of  all  careful  New  England  housewives  in 
summer  time,  had  been  lowered  "to  keep  out  the 
flies,"  and,  we  fear,  the  sunshine. 


News  from  the  Expedition  283 

Deacon  Hay  had  just  lifted  his  hand  and  com 
menced  the  blessing,  which  none  of  his  household  had 
ever  known  to  be  omitted  in  joy  or  sorrow,  health  or 
sickness,  whether  many  or  few  were  gathered 
around  the  hospitable  board  never  forbidden  to  any, 
however  poor;  never  deemed  by  the  sturdy  farmer 
too  humble  to  supply  the  "creature  wants"  of  the 
noblest  and  proudest  of  the  magnates  of  his  time; 
but,  although  at  that  day  a  gun  at  sea  might  well 
betoken  the  presence  of  marauding  enemy  or  merci 
less  pirate,  the  somewhat  prolix  form  of  prayer  was 
not  one  whit  abridged,  nor  the  homely  fervor  of  the 
speaker  the  least  abated,  as  he  prayed  "for  those 
upon  the  seas,  and  warring  against  the  enemies  of 
the  king." 

Lish,  however,  was  less  self-contained,  and  the 
prayer  was  scarcely  concluded  w7hen  he  had  flung 
aside  his  chair  and  was  heard  rapidly  ascending  to 
the  garret,  whence  by  a  trap  door  he  reached  the 
roof,  and  levelled  an  old  ship's  glass  toward  the  dis 
tant  waters. 

"  'Tis  the  Viana,  father,"  he  was  heard  to  shout. 
"Her  flag  is  flying  at  the  main  mast  head,  and  there 
goes  another  gun  from  her  deck.  I'll  be  bound  Uncle 
Zenas  has  bought  a  swivel  for  the  sloop,  and  is  firing 
it  to  let  us  know  of  his  coming." 

"  'Tis  scarcely  that,  my  son,"  said  his  father  in  his 
habitual  grave,  self-contained  tones,  "Mr.  Freeman 
is  not  like  to  waste  so  much  powder  for  naught.  De 
pend  upon  it  he  has  heard  some  great  news,  per 
chance  of  the  fortunes  of  our  men  and  the  great 
fleet". 


284  Cartagena 


"Perhaps  he  has  letters  for  us/'  said  his  wife,  the 
moisture  standing  in  her  sweetly  patient,  loving 
eyes,  and  her  sensitive  lip  trembling,  in  spite  of  the 
strong  power  of  self-control  then  practised  under 
the  stern  rules  of  life  and  thought,  followed  by  our 
sires  of  the  Puritan  and  Pilgrim  colonies,  "and  per 
haps—" 

"Perhaps  he  has  come !"  broke  in  Tempie,  bursting 
into  a  passion  of  smiles  and  tears.  "Perhaps  he  is 
on  board,  my  dear,  beautiful  brother.  He  was  to 
come  in  the  spring  with  the  leaves;  he  said  it,  and 
she  said  so  too,"  and  the  child,  crying  and  laughing, 
broke  down  into  one  of  those  strange  hysterical  cli 
maxes  of  emotion,  so  often  seen  among  the  feminine 
descendants  of  the  pioneers  of  New  England. 

The  mother's  arms  were  at  once  around  her  child, 
and  her  deft  fingers  gently  unloosened  the  neckties 
of  the  plain  dress,  as  smoothing  back  the  jetty 
hair  from  the  pale  temples,  she  drew  the  sobbing 
child  to  her  breast  in  speechless  sympathy. 

It  wras  the  nearest  to  a  caress  that  any  living  per 
son  had  seen  Deacon  Hay  offer  his  faithful  com 
panion,  when  he  laid  his  arm  kindly  across  her 
shoulder,  and  with  his  hard,  brown  hand,  touched 
the  soft  cheek  of  his  youngest  daughter,  nor  was  it 
until  after  an  evident  effort,  that  he  spoke  in  his 
wonted  calm,  cold  tones. 

"It  may  be  he  brings  news,  but  I  expect  no  letters 
and  least  of  all  the  return  of  our  friends.  If  they 
have  taken  a  city  they  will  have  to  garrison  it,  until 
the  king  sends  troops  to  relieve  them,  and  our  last 
news  was  of  long  delays  and  sore  losses.  It  were 


News  from  the  Expedition  285 

not  wise  to  hope  for  so  great  a  blessing  from  the 
Lord." 

"Well,"  said  Lish  somewhat  impatiently,  "he's 
burning  powder  for  something  anyhow,  and  I  move 
we  harness  up  the  horse  and  go  down  to  the  harbor 
to  meet  him.  She'll  be  at  anchor  before  we  get  there, 
and  in  an  hour  or  so  you  will  know  why  Uncle  Zenas 
has  kept  the  sloop's  ensign  wearing  out  in  this  stiff 
breeze,  and  set  half  the  militia  along  the  coast  to 
thinking  of  musket  and  cartridge  box." 

"I  had  thought,"  replied  his  father  quietly,  "of 
fencing  in  the  new  wheat  field  by  the  Brush  pasture, 
but  Joshua  and  I  can  get  along  I  reckon  and  you  can 
bring  back  Uncle  Zenas  and  the  things  he  was  to 
purchase  for  me  in  Boston." 

An  hour  or  two  later  the  heavy  farm  wagon  re 
turned  and  in  it  Uncle  Zenas,  red  as  a  boiled  lobster 
with  sea-tan,  enthusiastic  loyalty  and,  we  fear,  a 
little  Santa  Cruz.  A  large  audience,  considering  the 
size  of  the  little  hamlet,  awaited  him  at  the  door  of 
the  Hay  mansion  when  he  drove  up  and,  leaping  to 
the  ground,  kissed  his  daughter,  whom  Tempie  had 
run  to  summon,  and  then  turned  to  tell  of  the  re 
ceipt  of  the  news  of  the  taking  of  Boca  Chica ;  which 
tidings  had  reached  Boston  on  the  29th  of  May, 
nearly  twro  months  after  the  surrender. 

"You  ought  to  hev  seen  the  town,"  cried  the  old 
captain,  "when  the  news  became  known;  the  har 
bor  was  full  of  smoke  from  the  guns  of  the  shipping, 
the  Common  an'  streets  alive  with  the  townsmen, 
an'  the  country  people  coming  in  to  hear  the  news 
an'  see  the  rejoicin's.  The  taverns  an'  ordinaries 


286  Cartagena 


were  full  of  good  fellows  an'  officers  drinking  suc 
cess  to  our  brave  boys  an'  his  majesty's  arms;  an' 
'tis  said  thet  more  men  will  be  raised  at  once,  an'  the 
Spanish  dominions  on  this  side  the  water  utterly 
wasted  an'  occupied. 

"Then  in  the  evenin'  thar  were  bonfires  on  all 
the  heights,  an'  such  rockets  an'  bluelights  as  I 
hev  never  seen  since  I  was  in  Canton  among  the 
heathen  Chinese,  who  are  more  curious  in  such  mat 
ters  then  any  other  people  I  ever  saw." 

"But  is  Cartagena  itself  taken?"  asked  Hay,  so 
berly.  "If  I  understand  you  they  have  only  cracked 
the  outer  covering  of  the  nut,  and  the  harder  shell 
still  lies  between  them  and  the  kernel." 

"Aye!  aye!  So  'tis  I  take  it,"  answered  the  old  sea 
dog.  "An'  as  far's  I  know  there  are  several  forts, 
an'  more  than  one  stout  ship  between  them  an'  the 
walls  them  boasting  dons  have  called  'the  defiance  of 
the  world,'  for  so  a  Portagee  told  me  they  hed  hed 
cut  on  the  outer  arch  o'  the  city  gate.  But,  how- 
somever,  ef  Vernon  hasn't  got  the  city  before  now 
he  never  will,  fer  thar's  a  worse  thing  to  fight  then 
Spaniards  thar  at  this  season,  an'  well  the  admiral 
knows  it." 

"What  is  that  father?"  asked  Margaret,  anxiously. 

"  'Tis  the  Chapetonadas,  child,  es  the  Spaniards 
call  it,"  answered  the  blunt  old  seaman,  a  little  un 
easily,  as  if  some  dim  sense  of  thoughtlessness  had 
begun  to  intrude  itself  on  his  dull  apprehension,  "so 
called  because  only  the  Chapetones,  es  they  call  the 
strangers  who  come  thar  from  other  parts,  are 
liable  to  hev  it.  'Tis  a  kind  of  fever,  child,  an'  many 


News  from  the  Expedition  287 

a  poor  sailor  lies  died  of  it  in  times  past  in  Cartagena 
an'  Porto  Bello,  too." 

"You  mean  the  yellow  fever,  don't  you,  uncle?" 
asked  Lish,  quickly,  "You  know  Steve  has  had  that 
in  the  Young  Eagle  privateer,  an'  is  not  like  to  have 
it  again." 

"Wai,  I  'spose  it's  like  yallow  fever,  an'  still  thar's 
a  difference  es  I'm  told,  but  ef  he's  'scaped  Yallow 
Jack,  as  they  call  him  in  the  West  Indies,  we  needn't 
worry,  though  many  a  good  man,  they  say,  hes  died 
already  of  it  in  the  fleet  an'  army." 

"Are  any  of  note  gone?"  asked  Hay,  gravely. 

"Wai,  thar's  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pigot,  thet  used  to  be 
settled  down  to  Marblehead,  an'  Mr.  Ramsay,  a  sur 
geon,  died  just  afore  the  fleet  left  Jamaiky,  an'  of 
Prescott's  company  over  a  score  went  with 
the  fever,  besides  Lieutenant  Flagg  an'  Ensign 
Goffe.  'Tis  a  bad  climate  an'  tryin'  service,  an'  I 
hope  Vernon  hes  taken  the  city  ere  this." 

"But  did  you  hear  nothing  from  our  Stephie  him 
self?"  asked  Ternpie,  tremblingly. 

"Yes,  dear  child.  I  met  an  old  shipmate  who  went 
out  on  one  of  the  transports  an'  got  rid  on  his  load 
of  flour  an'  pork,  shortly  a'ter  the  fleet  got  fairly  at 
work  at  the  forts.  He  says  thet  Dr.  Stewart's  leften- 
ant,  with  Stephen,  Bill  an'  three  or  four  more  men, 
lied  taken  a  whaleboat  an'  was  kind  of  scoutin'  like 
fer  a  man-o'-war,  an'  Steve  sent  home  this  letter  fer 
his  mother  an'  one  fer — 

"O  father!"  said  Margaret,  with  downcast  face, 
while  Lish's  face  whitened  a  moment  and  then 
flushed  red  as  blood;  but  Mrs.  Hay  looked  upward 


288  Cartagena 


in  thankfulness,  seeming  as  Uncle  Zene  was  after 
wards  heard  to  say  "a'most  like  one  o'  the  marble 
saints,  in  them  palaces  up  the  Mediterranean?" 

But  little  Temple,  almost  wrild  with  joy,  flew  to 
the  side  of  the  old  sea-captain,  as,  with  a  strange 
mixture  of  burly  good  humor  and  tenderness,  he 
extracted  from  the  pockets  of  his  small-clothes  two 
letters,  each  written  on  a  single  sheet  of  the  coarse, 
unruled  paper  then  in  use. 

With  annoying  deliberation  he  adjusted  his  large 
spectacles  to  his  satisfaction,  spelled  out  the  super 
scriptions,  and  gave  them  to  the  child,  who,  covering 
each  with  kisses,  bore  them  respectively  to  her 
mother  and  Margaret. 

The  little  missives  were  simply  folded  and  secured 
by  a  spot  of  wax,  for  in  those  days  envelopes  were 
an  unknown  refinement  of  civilization;  and  on  their 
long  and  devious  errand,  the  once  white  paper  had 
acquired  certain  smutches,  creases,  and  strange 
odors  of  tar  and  tobacco,  scarcely  inviting  to  femi 
nine  tastes;  but  no  perfumed  and  dainty  billet  could 
have  been  more  welcome  to  the  mother  of  Stephen 
Hay. 

She  was  about  to  break  the  seal,  but  turned  to  her 
husband:  "Bead  it,  Elisha,"  she  said,  placing  it  in 
his  hands;  and  he,  with  hands  trembling  visibly  as 
he  did  so,  opened  and  read  the  first  letter  received 
since  the  transports  of  the  Massachusetts  troops  left 
the  waters  of  New  York  harbor.  It  ran  as  follows : 

"BOCA  CHICA,  Mar.  28,  1741. 
"DEAR  AND  HONOURED  MOTHER: — This  is  to  let 


News  from  the  Expedition  289 

you  all  know  that  William  and  I  are  Well,  and  so  far 
in  Good  Spirits,  although  many  Poor  Fellows  have 
passed  into  An  Awful  Eternity.  We  have  taken  the 
Harbor  Forts,  and  are  but  a  few  leagues  from  the 
Town,  and  We  hope  to  take  it  before  the  Rains  set  in. 
Our  Captain  Stewart  is  very  poorly,  and  I  fear  can 
not  live  long.  He  is  worn  out  with  Service,  having 
proved  himself  a  good  Souldier,  and  a  healer  of  Body 
and  Soul  to  his  Men.  It  would  grieve  Any  one  to 
see  how  Changed  he  is  from  what  he  Was;  but  he 
says  that  he  has  no  Doubt  of  meeting  his  Dear  Ones 
Again.  Truly,  I  doubt  not  Thereof,  but  it  must  be, 
I  fear,  in  those  Heavenly  Mansions,  in  which,  dear 
Mother,  may  we  all  Meet  again  when  Life  is  over. 
Give  my  love  to  my  Honoured  Father  and  all  In* 
quireing  Friends  and  Especially  to  dear  Little  Tern- 
pie,  who  will,  I  know,  be  Patient  if  I  come  not  till 
the  Snow  falls.  Tell  her  to  Fear  not,  whatever  may 
betide;  for  I  have — I  know  not  why — the  Full  As 
surance  of  Coming  back  to  Home  and  those  I  Love. 
"Nevertheless,  should  this  prove  but  a  Delusion,  I 
have  faith  through  Christ's  love  that  I  may  be  Num 
bered  among  His  Saints,  in  which  Hope  Dear  and 
Honoured  Mother  I  subscribe  myself 

"Your  Loving  and  Obed't  Son 

"STEPHEN  HAY." 

That  evening,  as  the  household  knelt  beside  the 
family  altar,  Deacon  Hay  heard  around  him  stifled 
sobs  as  he  offered  up  the  accustomed  form  of  thanks 
giving,  to  wrhich  in  simple  words  he  added  thanks 
for  the  brief  message,  which,  in  spite  of  many 


290  Cartagena 


chances  of  war  and  wreck,  had  safely  reached  its 
destination : 

"We  thank  thee  for  our  creation,  preservation, 
and  all  the  blessings  of  this  life,  and  the  special  priv 
ileges  thou  hast  so  lately  accorded  to  us,  but  above 
all  for  the  inestimable  gift  of  thy  dear  Son,  who  for 
us  endured  the  cross,  despising  the  shame,  and  be 
came  an  acceptable  propitiation  for  our  sins.  Grant, 
O  most  merciful  Father,  the  safe  return  of  those 
dear  and  faithful  ones  far  distant  from  us,  but  if 
it  be  thy  will  reconcile  us  to  earthly  separation,  and 
give  us  hope  and  trust  in  a  never-ending  life  in  thy 
kingdom." 

In  such  manner,  clear,  distinct  and  unimpas^ 
sioned,  ran  the  prayer  of  the  father,  and  to  many 
ears  the  words  will  convey  little  of  the  deep  and  ten 
der  paternal  love,  which  for  generations  back  has 
underlain  the  undemonstrative,  outward  man  of  the 
descendants  of  Pilgrim  and  Puritan.  As  the  lava 
lies  under  the  ice  of  Hecla,  so  every  strong,  true  and 
deep  emotion  known  to  noble  natures,  lives  in  the 
hearts  of  the  men  of  New  England.  It  is  not  for 
light  cause  that  they  break  the  bonds  of  hereditary 
self-repression,  but  a  thousand  acts  of  generosity, 
self  sacrifice,  tenderness  and  courage,  have  given 
the  lie  to  the  charge,  which  ascribed  to  austerity  and 
narrow  selfishness  the  customary  moderation  of 
New  England  character. 

And  so  little  Tempie  knew  and  felt  that  night,  as 
her  father  drew  her  to  his  side  and  laid  his  heavy 
hand  upon  her  curls,  that  her  father  loved  her  and 
sympathized  in  her  hopes  and  fears,  and  she  went  to 


News  from  the  Expedition  291 

bed  comforted; although  she  would  have  liked  to  kiss 
those  firmly-set,  smoothly-shaved  lips,  and  feel  them 
return  the  mute  caress  of  filial  tenderness. 

But  Margaret  carried  her  letter  homeward  and 
under  the  blossoming  apple  trees,  seated  herself  on 
one  of  the  low  wind-twisted  trunks,  and  read  her 
first  love  missive. 

It  was  dated,  folded  and  sealed  like  the  other  and 
ran  something  as  follows: 

"Miss  MARGARET  FREEMAN  : 

"I  have  written  several  letters  both  to  you  and  to 
my  Honoured  Parents,  the  wrhich  I  have  cause  to 
Fear  have  never  reached  you,  as  the  whole  Sea  is 
thronged  with  Picaroons  and  Privateers,  and  We 
hear  Almost  Daily  of  the  Loss  of  our  Vessels.  Let 
not  that  Misfortune  dear  Friend,  lessen  your  Trust 
in  my  Love,  which  dwells  ever  on  your  Perfections 
and  knows  no  Change  with  Absence,  but  rather  like 
Hunger  grows  with  Deprivation.  I  have  written  the 
News  to  Mother,  which  wrill  also  come  to  you 
through  the  Newsletter  more  fully.  Also  the  Packet 
has  her  Signal  flying,  and  my  Time  is  short. 

"This,  however,  I  wrould  say,  that  although  I  My 
self  doubt  not  of  Returning  to  you,  yet  as  I  daily  see 
Many  cut  off  in  the  Midst  of  Life,  and  I  see  no  pres 
ent  Hope  of  Speedy  Return,  I  Hereby  freely  release 
you  from  your  Promise  of  Betrothal ;  if  at  the  End 
of  a  Year  and  a  Day  from  the  Date  of  my  Last  Letter 
I  appear  not  to  be  Among  the  Living.  And  in  such 
Case  I  beseech  you  fear  not  to  favor  a  more  Fortu 
nate  Servitor,  lest  I  although  Dead  grieve  at  his 


292  Cartagena 


Happiness,  for  I  protest  that  I  so  much  Love  you, 
that  I  would  not  bind  you  to  any  except  such  Bonds, 
as  Love  makes  light,  and  Honour  glorifies. 

"Speak  not  of  this  to  any,  for  Tempie  would  grieve 
as  also  my  Loving  Mother.  I  would  that  you  and 
I  could  see  together  the  Strange  Beauties  of  this 
Fair  Land,  but  Death  goes  Hand  in  Hand  with  Beau 
ty  and  the  serpent  often  lurks  under  every  Flower 
of  the  Forest.  I  would  Fain  walk  with  you  under 
the  Apple  boughs  again  at  Home,  but  Duty  and 
Honour  keep  me  Here  in  the  King's  Service,  and 
until  His  Majestie's  further  Pleasure  I  can  only  sub 
scribe  myself 

"Your  Devoted  Servitor  and  True  Friend, 

"STEPHEN  HAY." 

A  slight  rustle  startled  the  young  girl  as  she 
ceased  reading;  and  as  she  turned  in  alarm,  she  saw 
close  to  her  shoulder  the  swarthy  face,  coarse  white 
hair  and  beady  eyes  of  Molly  Pognet,  who  stood 
leaning  on  her  long,  horn-handled  staff,  regarding 
her  with  a  strange  smile,  half  sneer,  half  pity,  which, 
as  Margaret  in  after  years  declared,  "made  her 
blood  run  cold  to  think  of." 

For  in  that  day,  scarce  two  generations  removed 
from  the  sad  scenes  of  the  "witchcraft  delusions," 
which  left  so  terrible  a  stigma  on  the  fair  fame  of 
many  of  New  England's  noblest  sons,  belief  in  the 
supernatural,  although  perhaps  not  more  general 
than  now,  was  more  honestly  and  openly  avowed, 
and  attested  in  almost  every  neighborhood  by  tales 
of  the  prowess  of  reputed  witches,  of  strange  ap- 


News  from  the  Expedition  293 

paritions,  wonderful  sounds,  and  indubitable  evi 
dences  of  the  machinations  and  subtle  devices  of  the 
enemy  of  souls. 

Mary,  or  Molly,  Pognet  stood  first  of  the  few 
strange  characters  who,  among  a  population  singu 
larly  pure  of  thought  and  deed,  and  universally 
habituated  to  at  least  the  outward  forms  of  a  Chris 
tian  life,  were  more  than  suspected  of  partial  idola 
try  and  of  the  practice  of  impious  rites  whose  origin 
was  lost  in  the  night  of  tradition,  and  whose  secrets 
have  been  for  the  most  part  forgotten  with  the  ex 
tinction  of  the  sept  of  powwaws  or  medicine  men. 

Far  and  wide,  her  skill  in  making  healing  salves 
and  soothing  embrocations  was  established;  and  the 
best  housewives  acknowledged  that  their  own  efforts 
with  the  costliest  dyes  fell  far  short  of  the  hues 
which  old  Molly  could  produce  from  the  wide  range 
of  simples  known  to  her  native  pharmacopoeia.  And 
there  were  many  fair  matrons  who,  when  pressed, 
had  to  acknowledge  that  she  had  held  their  hands 
and  told  them  of  their  destined  husbands,  perhaps 
unknown  to  them,  and  far  away  amid  the  icefields 
of  Baffin's  Bay,  or  stretching  off  across  the  southern 
Atlantic  to  the  fatal  west  coast  for  gold,  palm  oil, 
and  perhaps,  alas!  slaves. 

She  seldom  exercised  the  gift  for  money,  and  never 
unless  interested  somewhat  in  the  individual,  either 
through  favors  done  .or  insult  offered,  and  in  more 
than  one  weary  watch  it  was  told  how  one  stout 
captain,  who  had  roughly  berated  her  as  "an  Indian 
beggar  fit  only  for  the  gallows,"  had  heard  from  her 
in  reply  only  a  single  sentence,  "  'Tis  you  that  should 


294  Cartagena 


fear  the  rope,  bold  captain,"  and  six  months  later, 
had  been  carried  down  in  the  tangled  fakes  of  his 
own  line  when  fast  to  a  huge  sperm  whale. 

"And  so  he  has  set  you  free,  Margaret  Freeman," 
said  the  wise  woman,  coldly,  as  she  looked  intently 
into  the  girl's  swollen  eyes.  "It  is  well;  when  one 
can  hold  his  own  no  longer,  it  is  wise  to  give  away 
that  which  he  knows  must  be  taken  from  him." 

"How  came  you  to  know — I  mean  how  dared  you 
read  my  letters?  I  should  think  you  would  be 
ashamed,"  said  Margaret,  brokenly,  but  the  dame 
raised  her  hand,  and  in  spite  of  herself  she  was 
silent. 

"Listen !"  she  said,  almost  pityingly,  and  so  gently 
that  Margaret  wondered  at  the  human  softness  of 
her  tone.  "I  can  read  and  did,  for  I  hoped  to  learn 
of  my  good  son,  who  went  as  comrade  and  friend 
with  Stephen  Hay.  I  dare  do  anything,  and  I  am 
not  ashamed  that  I  looked  for  tidings  of  the  only 
living  descendant  I  have  on  earth.  .  But  tell  me," 
she  continued,  "how  long  is  it  since  the  talking  paper 
started  to  come  across  the  great  sea?" 

"It  was  written  more  than  a  month  ago,"  said 
Margaret,  quietly,  "and  all  were  well,  as  he  says, 
then." 

"Many  things  happen  in  a  single  moon,"  said 
Molly,  solemnly,  "and  I  know  that  much  of  harm 
may  come  in  a  single  day  to  the. bravest  warrior  and 
the  wisest  man.  But  see  you,"  she  continued,  more 
calmly,  "he  has  done  wisely  in  setting  you  free,  as  he 
has  said." 

"But  I  am  not  to  be  free  for  a  year  and  a  day  from 


News  from  the  Expedition  295 

the  date  of  his  last  letter,  and  that  will  be  eleven 
months  at  least,"  said  Margaret,  hurriedly.  "Be 
sides  he  will  come  back  before  then,  and  I  shan't 
want  to  change  at  all." 

''When  the  bird  struggles  in  the  net  it  is  not  in 
love  with  its  bonds,  and  I  know,  girl,  that  you  at 
least  begin  to  be  weary  of  a  promise.  Be  content; 
he  will  not  come  back  to  complain  that  you  have 
broken  it." 

"What  do  you  mean?  You  frighten  me.  Have 
you  also  heard  from  the  fleet?"  and  the  young  girl, 
weak,  trembling  and  agitated,  turned  as  if  to  fly 
from  the  spot. 

A  hand,  strong  despite  its  age,  was  laid  upon  her 
shoulder,  and  the  Indian  sybil  spoke  once  more  in 
tones  w7hich  convinced,  in  spite  of  the  strangeness  of 
the  message :  "How  I  know  I  may  not  say,  but  I  have 
seen  both  since  yesterday  at  noon,  and  both  are 
wounded  and  Stephen  Hay  is  a  prisoner.  Yet  I  fear 
not  but  that  I  shall  see  my  boy  again,  for  the  hurts 
are  slight,  but  long  months  may  come  and  go  before 
either  come  back  to  the  land  of  the  Massachusetts; 
so  if  you  care  for  the  man  and  your  word  to  him,  fear 
not,  no  matter  what  you  may  hear,  but  that  you 
shall  gaze  on  his  face  again." 

She  turned  to  go,  but  Margaret  stopped  her  with 
a  word,  "Shall  I  tell  his  parents  of  your  words?" 

"Say  what  you  please,  and  yet,  as  evil  news  comes 
fast  at  its  slowest,  if  you  say  nothing,  it  may  save  a 
moon  or  two  of  sad  and  bitter  thoughts  to  those  who 
love  him.  As  for  Molly  Pognet,  she  is  no  white 
woman,  that  she  should  carry  long  stories  from  one 
house  to  another." 


296  Cartagena 


AYith  a  wave  of  the  hand  the  aged  woman  de 
parted,  still  erect  and  active,  as  if  nearly  an  hun 
dred  winters  had  not  blanched  the  long  coarse  hair, 
which  plaited  and  tied  with  a  plain  dark  blue  ribbon, 
fell  almost  to  her  knees  from  under  a  pointed  cap  of 
woollen  cloth,  ornamented  with  a  few  coarse  beads 
of  wampum.  Margaret  watched  her  until  she  had 
crossed  the  high  road  at  the  foot  of  the  lane  and  dis 
appeared  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  woods  beyond ; 
then  turning,  re-read  the  missive  she  still  held  in  her 
hand.  As  she  read  the  tears  gathered  in  her  eyes, 
and  at  last  burying  her  face  in  her  hands  she  sobbed 
aloud. 

Then  rising,  she  dashed  away  the  tears  almost 
fiercely  as  she  said,  "There,  I  won't  cry  any  more. 
He's  good,  too  good  for  me;  unselfish,  generous, 
brave  and  handsome,  and  I  ought  to  be  true  and 
glad  to  give  myself  to  him;  and  yet  he  is  too  grave 
and  thoughtful,  and  when  he  talks  of  duty,  he 
frightens  and  vexes  me  by  turns.  Why  should  life 
be  all  duty?  and  why  cannot  men  and  women  be 
happy  as  the  birds,  who  have  no  care,  and  do  in  all 
things  as  they  please? 

"Now  there's  Lish,  always  merry  and  full  of  fun, 
but  not  bad  I'm  sure,  though  he  is  a  little  selfish  at 
times  I  do  think;  but  he'll  get  over  that  in  time,  and 
I'm  sure  I  should  be  happier  with  him  than  Stephen, 
although  I  know — "  but  leaving  the  sentence  uncom 
pleted  she  sauntered  off  toward  the  sea,  struggling 
with  a  vague  sense  of  disquiet ;  for  the  poor,  petted 
child,  unaccustomed  to  self-denial  and  discipline, 
felt  that  she  of  all  women  could  least  afford  to  sac- 


News  from   (he   Expedition  297 

rifice  a  love  strengthened  by  duty,  and  a  heart  that, 
whatever  the  temptation,  would  never  be  false 
to  her. 

The  way  led  down  a  gently  undulating  pasture, 
flecked  with  ponds,  by  which  the  killdeer  plover 
stalked  and  fed,  springing  into  the  air  when  star 
tled,  with  their  strange,  querulous  cry;  and  flocks 
of  purple  grakles  from  time  to  time  swept  up  from 
the  verdant  maize  fields,  and  blackened  the  bronze 
green  leaves  of  the  great  trees  of  the  western  swamp. 

Beyond  the  latter,  the  great  green  marsh  stretched 
many  a  mile  west  and  north,  defended  from  the 
sea  by  the  huge  sand  hills  which  mark  where  ages 
ago  the  first  reef  of  white  sand  shut  off  from  the  sea 
a  part  of  its  waters,  since  made  solid  land  by  the  silt 
of  the  tide,  the  drainings  of  the  inland  springs  and 
the  wash  of  the  upland  hills. 

She  was  sad  at  heart,  and  she  found  in  the  wide 
landscape  and  its  accessories  a  silent  companion 
ship  fitted  to  the  conflict  going  on  in  her  heart,  and 
she  drank  in  the  odor  of  the  ocean  and  the  strong 
aroma  of  the  broad  marshes;  as  if  they  were  the 
health-giving  perfumes  of  medieval  Italy  in  the 
days  of  occult  pharmacy. 

She  gathered  sprigs  of  aromatic  pennyroyal,  and 
tasted  the  delicate  inner  shoots  of  the  sweet  cala 
mus,  sighing  as  she  thought  of  the  old  days,  not  so 
very  long  ago,  when  the  brothers  in  boyish  gallantry 
had  made  of  such  simple  gifts,  the  sacrifices  of  their 
budding  admiration,  the  proofs  of  their  nascent  de 
votion  to  the  embryo  woman;  and  wished  that  the 
swift  feet  of  Time  could  have  passed  her  in  his 


298  Cartagena 


course,  and  left  her  the  tiny  coquette  of  the  district 
school,  the  girl  pet  of  a  household  whose  only  aim 
was  to  make  her  happy. 

The  roadway  became  sandy  and  less  grassy  as  it 
entered  a  low  growth  of  scrubby  oaks  and  pines, 
here  and  there  dotted  with  heavier  groves  of  walnut, 
and  thickets  of  wild  grape  vines,  where  herons 
sprawled  about  the  loftier  tree  tops,  and  the  ma 
rauding  crow,  conscious  of  the  price  set  upon  his 
thieving  head  by  the  laws  of  the  colony,  spread  his 
huge  black  wings  and  sailed  off  across  the  marshes, 
uttering  his  rough  cry  of  warning,  to  be  taken  up 
and  repeated  from  every  copse  for  miles  away. 

She  recalled  even  here  some  memories  of  the 
past  which  had  led  to  her  present  doubts  and  ques 
tionings;  how  Lish  had  risked  life  and  limb  in  climb 
ing  the  highest  monarch  of  the  grove  for  the  crow's 
eggs,  still  hanging  on  the  rosary  of  nidarian  spoils 
wrhich  ornamented  her  Venetian  mirror,  beside 
which  again,  neatly  handled,  as  a  delicate  brush, 
hung  the  tail  of  the  first  fox  which  had  fallen  to  the 
sure  aim  of  the  elder  brother. 

Under  the  shadow  of  a  great  vine,  whose  wide 
leaves,  supported  by  a  stunted  cedar,  formed  a 
broad  canopy,  she  sat  on  a  carpet  of  soft  short  herb 
age,  and  gave  herself  up  to  thought.  Her  mouth 
grew  parched,  and  she  plucked  the  young  shoots  of 
the  aromatic  checkerberry  and  ate,  finding  here  and 
there  a  berry  which  had  escaped  the  winter  snows 
and  the  close  search  of  the  hare  and  squirrel,  but 
the  longer  she  vexed  her  soul  writh  thought,  the  less 
pleasing  seemed  the  prospect  of  a  love  which  en- 


News  from  the  Expedition  299 

tailed  long  and  perhaps  hopeless  waiting;  of  an 
union  in  which  her  own  heart  told  her  that  happi 
ness  could  only  be  secured  by  a  recognition  of  the 
sovereignty  of  duty,  and  a  forgetfulness  of  self. 

"I  could  sway  him  much,"  she  murmured,  "but  he 
would  blame  himself  for  letting  me,  and  he  is  too 
clear  of  sight  to  be  long  blinded  by  love.  If  he  were 
only  less  thoughtful  I  could  love  him,  but  I  feel  that 
I  fear  him,  and  the  man  I  choose  must  think  me  the 
most  perfect  woman  in  the  world." 

She  plucked  the  vine  leaves  from  the  lower  shoots, 
and  plaited  a  chaplet,  as  she  had  done  often  before 
at  school,  and,  removing  her  hat,  with  short  thorns 
fitted  it  over  her  jetty  curls,  and  here  and  there  set 
in  the  coral  berries  with  the  aid  of  a  tiny  pocket-mir 
ror,  a  present  from  her  father  on  returning  from  one 
of  his  long  voyages. 

"That  is  pretty,  but  my  eyes  are  red  and  swollen, 
and  make  me  look  like  a  perfect  fright.  Well,  I 
must  be  going,  or  aunty  will  think  I  am  lost,  and 
visit  half  the  neighborhood  to  find  out  where  I  have 
stra3'ed  to." 

Swinging  her  light  hat  by  its  strings  she  was  step 
ping  into  the  road  when  she  heard  a  resonant 
whistle,  and  a  brisk  step,  which  she  well  knew  could 
belong  to  none  other  than  Lish,  who  at  the  next 
moment  came  round  the  turn  of  the  road,  carrying 
over  his  shoulder  a  slender  fishing-pole,  and  in  his 
hand  a  fine  string  of  brook  trout,  strung  by  the  gills 
on  a  withe  of  alder. 

But  as  he  saw  who  stood  in  his  path  the  joyous 
whistle  ceased,  and  his  springing  step  grew  heavy, 


300  Cartagena 


while  into  his  face  there  came  a  hot  flush,  succeeded 
by  the  pale  and  listless  look  which  had  made  Deacon 
Hay,  even  in  the  press  of  his  "first  hoeing,"  insist 
that  his  best  and  quickest  assistant  should  "leave  off 
work  and  get  a  mess  of  big  trout." 

Margaret  too  felt  the  same  strange  heaviness  at 
her  heart,  although  she,  better  skilled  in  the  art  of 
hiding  her  feelings,  greeted  him  gaily  enough  as  she 
saucily  readjusted  her  leafy  chaplet. 

"O,  what  beauties,  Lish!  Where  did  you  get  them? 
Father  went  fishing  yesterday,  down  to  Scorton,  and 
brought  back  a  long  string,  but  all  small  fish.  Why, 
I  haven't  seen  such  trout  this  year." 

"I  went  clear  to  the  head  of  Freeman's  Brook,  and 
then  struck  across  Spring  Hill  way  up  into  the 
swamp,  takin'  them  one  at  a  time,  for  I  know  every 
hole  and  eddy;  but  they  seemed  to  want  to  be 
caught,  and  if  they  hadn't  I  was  in  no  mood  to  take 
such  shy  fish  as  these  are." 

"Why,  what's  the  matter,  Lish?"  she  asked,  inno 
cently,  but  with  a  slight  tremor  in  her  voice,  which 
seemed  strangely  distinct  to  Lish's  ears,  for  he  fixed 
his  eyes  keenly  on  her  face,  which  flushed  blood 
red,  and  then  as  suddenly  paled  again. 

"Your  wreath  becomes  you,"  he  said  quietly,  "but 
after  all  you're  not  looking  well  of  late,  kind  of  wor 
ried  and  pale,  it  seems  to  me.  You  mustn't  worry 
about  Steve  so  much.  He'll  come  back  all  right,  I'm 
certain,  and  rich  enough  too,  if  all  the  stories  are 
true  about  the  gold  and  silver  those  Spaniards 
gather  together  in  Cartagena.  I'm  sure  I  wish  I 
had  gone  instead  of  wasting  life  and  heart  here  on 
Ploughed  Neck." 


News  from  the  Expedition  301 

"I  can't  tell  you  how  glad  I  am  you  didn't  go," 
broke  out  the  young  girl  impetuously.  "  'Tis  bad 
enough  to  think  of  Steve,  and  of  Black  Bill  that  I've 
always  known,  exposed  to  battles  and  fevers  and  all 
kinds  of  dangers,  and  see  everybody  else  sad  and 
worried  about  them,  until  even  you  that  used  to  be 
always  cheerful,  are  now  almost  as  grave  and  sol 
emn  as  your  father  himself." 

"I  shall  never  be  so  merry  again,  Margie,"  said  the 
young  man  gloomily,  "for  there  don't  seem  to  be  any 
thing  ahead  in  life  to  hope  for.  I'm  sick  of  farming; 
sick  of  work  without  pay,  and  life  without  pleasure, 
and  I'm  heartily  sorry  now  that  I  didn't  go  as  Steve 
did  to  the  wars,  where,  if  I  lived,  I  might  gain  wealth 
and  glory  and — " 

"And  what  if  you  died,  Lish?"  broke  in  Margaret 
plaintively.  "What  if  we  should  hear  that  you  died 
of  fever,  or  were  torn  to  pieces  by  one  of  those  dread 
ful  shells  that  father  tells  about?" 

"Why  then  I  should  be  at  rest,  and  know  no  more 
weariness  or  sadness.  Why,  as  I  looked  down  into 
the  depths  of  the  great  cold  spring  up  yonder,  I  al 
most  felt  as  if  I  could  leap  in  and  settle  quietly  down 
into  the  cool,  clear  water,  and  know  neither  pain  nor 
disappointment  nor  weariness  more." 

"Stop,  Lish !  do  stop !  you  frighten  me,"  cried  Mar 
garet,  and  then  burst  into  tears.  And  then  Lish,  with 
the  usual  consistency  of  his  age  and  condition,  be 
came  as  penitent  and  self-accusing  as  he  had  before 
been  abnormally  desperate,  reckless  and  despon 
dent." 

"I  do  think  you  are  too  bad,  Lish,"  she  at  last  said 


302  Cartagena 


through  her  tears.  "I've  had  this  letter  from  Steve, 
and  it  made  me  so  sad;  and  I  came  down  here  alone 
to  think  over  matters,  and  cheer  up  if  I  could.  But 
first  old  Molly  Pognet  must  steal  up  behind  me  and 
read  mj  letter,  and  then  frighten  me  half  to  death 
with  her  strange  talk.  You  all  seem  to  think  I'm 
very  happy,  but  I've  many  things  that  trouble  me 
to  keep  to  myself,  for  I  don't  want  to  make  others 
needlessly  unhappy." 

"Then  tell  them  to  me,  Margaret,"  broke  in  Lish 
impetuously.  "Steve  and  I  never  had  a  quarrel  that 
lasted  over  night,  and  when  we  parted,  the  last  thing 
he  told  me  to  do  was  to  be  kind  to  you.  'She's  been 
like  a  sister  to  us  both,'  said  he,  'and  now  that  she's 
promised  to  be  my  wife,  should  be  dearer  than  ever 
to  you  all.  So  if  the  time  ever  comes  when  she  needs 
a  true  friend,  do  for  her  all  that  you  would  do  for 
me.'  I  know  I'm  careless  and  thoughtless,"  Lish 
went  on,  blushing  as  he  spoke,  "but  I  can  keep  a 
secret,  and  wrould  do  anything  in  the  world  to  save 
you  from  pain  or  sorrow." 

"I  believe  you  would,  Lish,"  she  said  gravely  and 
scarcely  above  a  whisper,  and  then  silently  handed 
him  the  letter.  Lish  trembled  as  he  took  it,  but  read 
it,  changing  color  the  while,  and  then  as  silently 
handed  it  back  again. 

"Old  Molly  told  me,  as  we  stood  up  yonder,  that 
both  Steve  and  Bill  were  wounded,  and  that  neither 
would  return  for  many  months.  And  although  it 
don't  seem  right  to  trust  to  such  things,  yet  I  know 
father,  at  least,  would  be  worried  to  death  if  he 
heard  it.  There,  Lish,  I've  told  you  all;  at  least,  al- 


News  From  the  Expedition  303 

most  all  that  troubles  me,  and  you  must  not  say  a 
Avoi-d  to  any  one,  for  it  will  only  worry  others  as  it 
does  me." 

As  she  spoke  they  passed  out  of  the  wildwood 
into  the  open  fields,  and  soon  passed  under  the  half- 
lowered  bars  into  the  house  yard,  where  already  the 
men  with  their  clean-scoured  pails,  were  going  to 
call  the  cattle  from  the  pastures  beyond  the  maize 
fields. 

Lish  left  his  pole  against  the  gable,  and  his  fish  in 
a  great  crock  filled  with  cool  water  from  the  depths 
of  the  mossy  draw-well,  and  went  forth  to  his  even 
ing  labor.  But  his  heart  was  full  of  conflicting 
thought  and  feeling,  in  which  were  strangely 
blended  past  despondency,  the  old  love  and  new  ad 
miration  of  his  brother's  noble  nature,  and  half- 
formed  hopes  and  nascent  expectations  born  of  the 
train  of  thought  suggested  by  his  brother's  missive. 

"If  he  comes  not  before  the  orchards  are  again  in 
bloom,  she  is  free  to  wed  another,"  he  said  within 
himself,  as  he  lowered  the  bars  for  the  entrance  of 
the  sleek  kine.  "Will  she  be  sorry  if  the  news  should 
come,  that  poor  Stephen  has  fallen  in  battle,  or  died 
of  those  fatal  fevers?" 

And  then  he  stamped  his  foot  impatiently,  as  if 
angry  and  horrified  at  his  own  thoughts — as  Cain 
may  have  done  in  the  land  at  the  borders  of  Eden, 
when  first  he  wavered  between  fraternal  love  and 
that  jealousy  of  a  brother's  better  fortune,  which 
grew  in  time  into  the  bitter  and  accursed  fruit  of  his 
vast  remorse  for  the  first  fratricide. 


Chapter  XXI. 
The   Last  of  Earth 

Captain  Stewart  had  taken  an  active  part  in  the 
latter  days  of  the  siege,  although  it  was  evident  to 
all  that  the  extraordinary  duties  of  captain  and  sur 
geon,  unflinchingly  performed  by  him,  had  so  less 
ened  his  vitality  and  enfeebled  his  constitution,  that 
any  attack  of  acute  disease  would  probably  prove 
fatal. 

He  had,  however,  found  the  duties  of  the  siege  and 
the  comparative  freedom  of  service  on  shore,  some 
alleviation  of  the  terrible  discomforts  endured  on 
shipboard;  and  when  the  grenadiers  rushed  through 
the  crumbled  curtain  of  Boca  Chica  Castle,  his 
Americans  were  close  at  their  heels,  although  as 
signed  a  place  several  hundred  yards  behind  the  re 
serve  of  regulars. 

Colonel  Gooch,  their  commanding  officer,  was 
wounded,  and  Captain  Washington  of  Virginia  is 
incidentally  mentioned  in  the  annals  of  the  siege  as 
acting  writh  great  bravery  and  decision.  But  all 
that  English  contempt  for  colonial  troops  could  do, 
was  done  to  leave  in  utter  obscurity  the  services  of 
the  provincials,  and  succeeded  so  well,  that  only  the 
story  of  their  degradation  to  the  most  menial  service, 
and  the  terrible  record  of  their  mortality,  is  left  to 
their  descendants. 

But  when  the  narrow  portals  of  the  lagoon  were 
opened  to  the  fleet,  Vernon  hastened  to  place  his 


The  Last  of  Earth  305 

ships  in  safety,  and  then,  leaving  Lestock's  division 
to  clear  away  the  obstructions  and  embark  the 
forces  landed,  made  his  way  up  the  lagoon  to  attack 
the  inner  defences  which  lay  between  him  and  the 
city. 

The  embarkation  was  fatal  to  many  of  those 
wearied  with  want  of  sleep,  and  the  excitement  and 
labor  of  the  siege,  for  they  went  back  to  narrow 
quarters,  noisome  smells,  and  the  spoilt  rations,  and 
stinted  water  supply,  which  had  for  so  many  weeks 
kept  the  hospitals  full  of  patients,  who  seldom 
quitted  them  but  for  the  coffinless  grave  or  the 
depths  of  the  sea. 

But  there  was  no  disputing  the  orders  of  the  ad 
miral,  and  the  men  after  almost  ceaseless  labor  in 
removing  their  siege  and  camp  equipage,  and  em 
barking  the  heavy  cannon,  with  much  exposure  to 
mud,  water,  and  the  chill  night  air  of  the  miasmatic 
lagoon,  found  themselves  almost  swooning  by  day  in 
the  hot  sun,  and  shivering  by  night,  as  the  fatal 
mists,  rising  from  mangrove  marsh  and  pestilential 
swamps,  drifted  before  the  light  land  breeze  and 
covered  the  warships  with  a  misty  veil  which  was 
indeed  "the  shadow  of  death." 

The  good  captain  was  one  of  the  first  to  feel  the 
change,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  third  or  fourth 
day  after  the  taking  of  the  castles,  Lieutenant  Wood- 
side,  who  with  his  boat  had  been  sent  down  to  com 
municate  with  Commodore  Lestock,  visited  his  com 
rade  and  found  him  in  a  high  fever,  yet  persistently 
refusing  to  take  to  his  berth.  "If  I  lie  down  I  shall 
never  get  up  again  here,"  he  said,  quietly;  "and  I 


306  Cartagena 


must  be  ready  to  go  in  the  boats  when  the  army 
lands." 

"But  my  dear  fellow,  you  know  it  won't  do,"  plead 
ed  Woodside  good  naturedly.  "We  want  you  to  rest 
and  get  well,  and  we're  not  yet  past  the  Castillo 
Grande,  although  night  before  last  we  destroyed  the 
Manzanilla  fort  that  covers  the  other  side  of  the 
channel,  and  are  going  this  evening  to  shut  up  the 
Cavallo  Pass  to  the  west,  so  that  no  provisions  can 
be  got  to  the  city.  When  Castillo  Grande  falls  we 
shall  want  you  and  the  rest  of  our  boys,  and  in  the 
meantime  you  must  take  good  care  of  yourself  you 
know." 

"It's  no  use,  Woodside,"  said  Stewart  quietly, 
"I've  got  the  fever,  and  I'm  doing  the  best  I  can  for 
myself,  although  in  another's  case  I  should  have 
little  hope.  I  won't  be  killed  by  one  of  those  ignor 
ant  surgeon's  mates,  who  bleed,  blister  and  purge, 
as  if  the  fever  didn't  have  victims  enough  without 
their  aid,  and  if  I  give  up  I  shall  be  delirious  and 
fall  into  their  hands.  You  won't  "betray  this  confi 
dence,  will  you,  Woodside?"  he  added  earnestly. 

The  honest,  brave,  generous  fellow  hesitated  and 
answered  disconnectedly,  for  he  felt  that  his  supe 
rior  was  in  great  jeopardy,  and  he  felt  that  rest  and 
attention  were  all  that  offered  a  hope  of  recovery. 
"Yes;  no;  Oh,  certainly.  There,  Stewart,  I  don't 
know  what  to  say  to  you,  you  know.  How  can  you 
ask  me  to  leave  you  to  yourself  under  such  circum 
stances?" 

"Have  you  ever  looked  into  the  sick  bay  since  we 
lay  here?"  asked  Stewart,  quietly.  "If  you  have  not, 


The  Last  of  Earth  307 

just  step  down  a  moment,  and  you  will  see  the  sur 
geons  and  their  assistants  at  work.  Then  come  back, 
and  tell  me  if  I  am  not  better  off  when  left  to  my 
self." 

With  a  strange  sinking  of  the  heart,  such  as  the 
honest  lieutenant  had  never  experienced  under  the 
fire  of  the  enemy,  Woodside  inquired  his  way  to  the 
sick  bay  or  hospital,  whence,  in  spite  of  the  open 
ports,  a  horrible  stench  issued,  and  constant  moan- 
ings  and  delirious  cries  reminded  the  stout  soldier 
irresistibly  of  the  tortures  of  the  damned.  Neverthe 
less  he  resolutely  pushed  forward  and  soon  saw  be 
fore  him  some  six  or  seven  score  hammocks,  hung 
so  closely  together  that  they  formed  an  almost  con 
tinuous  bed,  in  each  of  which  a  sick  or  wounded  man 
lay  awaiting  the  visit  of  the  surgeon  and  his  mates. 

The  former,  a  fine  looking,  well  dressed  man, 
stood  in  a  small  open  place,  surrounded  by  the  ap 
pliances  of  his  calling,  and  a  set  of  bloody  instru 
ments  told  that  some  painful  operation  had  just  been 
concluded.  He  stood  now,  however,  engaged  in  di 
recting  the  operations  of  his  assistants,  who,  di 
vested  of  much  of  their  clothing,  and  clad  otherwise 
in  their  worst  raiment,  visited  one  by  one  the  over 
crowded  sufferers,  by  creeping  beneath  the  ham 
mocks  and  forcing  their  heads  up  between  their  pa 
tients,  not  unfrequently  eliciting  heart  piercing 
shrieks  and  groans  in  the  operation. 

This  done  the  state  of  the  patient's  symptoms  was 
called  off  in  a  sing-song  tone  of  voice,  and  the  sur 
geon  in  answer  briefly  ordered  whatever  in  his  judg 
ment  should  be  done.  After  which  dressings,  plas- 


308  Cartagena 


ters,  etc.,  etc.,  were  renewed  or  applied,  and  the 
lancet  was  so  freely  used,  that  there  was  scarcely 
a  hammock  that  did  not  show  the  marks  of  its  recent 
use. 

But  to  Woodside  the  coup  d'ocil  was  awful.  Men 
with  amputated  limbs,  mortal  wounds,  spinal  in 
juries,  and  splintered  arms  and  legs,  lay  among  the 
many  victims  of  the  persistent  fluxes  and  raging 
fevers,  which  of  late  had  so  terribly  increased;  and 
the  merciful  stupor  of  imminent  death,  the  ravings 
of  delirium,  the  varied  emotions  of  men  aghast  in 
the  expectation  of  dissolution,  presented  a  scene 
which  it  were  almost  blasphemy  for  the  pen  to 
describe. 

Sick  at  heart  the  soldier  staggered  from  the  hos 
pital  to  the  deck,  and  found  his  friend  awaiting  him 
in  his  narrow  quarters,  with  a  calm  smile  upon  his 
flushed  face.  "Here,  take  this  cordial,"  he  said, 
pouring  a  mixture  from  one  of  a  case  of  bottles  on 
the  table  before  him.  "Pardon  me  for  exposing  your 
untried  nerves  to  such  a  shocking  exhibition,  but  I 
knew  you  had  no  idea  to  what  torments  your  kind 
ness  would  consign  me." 

"  'Tis  horrible,"  said  Woodside,  feverishly  drain 
ing  the  proffered  glass,  "but  surely  an  officer  would 
not  be  consigned  to  such  a  pandemonium.  I  would 
rather  die  than  be  carried  there." 

"There  are  no  officers  of  the  regulars  there,"  said 
Stewart,  meaningly,  "but  several  of  our  colonial  gen 
tlemen  have  died  in  that  very  place.  I  do  not  really 
think  that  I  should  fare  quite  'so  badly,  but  the  offi 
cers'  hospital  is  equally  crowded,  and  the  attend- 


The  Last  of  Karlh  309 

ance  almost  as  bad.  I  have  done  all  that  I  could  to 
alleviate  the  terrible  misery  of  both  places,  but  I 
can  no  longer  bear  the  labor,  and  must  try  to  save 
my  own  life.  Don't,  for  my  wife's  and  daughter's 
sake,  take  away  the  only  chance  that  is  left  me." 

"Capt.  Stewart,"  exclaimed  Woodside,  warmly, 
"you  shall  have  your  wish,  and  I  would  that  I  could 
stay  with  you  to  help  and  care  for  you.  Is  there  no 
one  who  can  be  hired  to  wait  on  you  until  I  see  you 
once  more?" 

"Would  I  do,  your  honor  ?"  asked  a  weak,  childish 
voice;  and  both  saw,  standing  near  them,  one  of  the 
ship's  boys, — a  favorite  of  the  ship's  crew, — who  had 
been  under  the  care  of  Dr.  Stewart  during  the  voy 
age  from  Jamaica.  "I'm  not  very  big,"  he  continued, 
"and  I'm  not  able  yet  to  do  much;  for  I'm  quite  weak, 
an'  somehow,  sir,  I  don't  seem  to  get  stronger.  But 
he  did  so  much  for  me  an'  t'other  poor  fellows,  that 
I'd  be  glad  to  do  anything  I  could  to  help  him  until 
he's  well,  sir." 

Stewart's  eyes  glistened  as  he  spoke: 

"You've  a  kind,  brave  heart  in  your  little  body, 
Frank,  and  it's  easy  to  see  that  this  is  no  place  for 
you.  How  could  you  ever  leave  your  mother  to  go 
to  sea,  my  poor  boy?" 

"I've  no  mother,"  the  child  answered,  quietly;  "I 
mean,  sir,  she  died  a  year  ago,  and  my  uncle  was  go 
ing  to  put  me  on  the  parish.  So  I  ran  away  and 
shipped  as  powder  boy;  but  I  think  I  would  have 
been  better  off  even  in  the  workhouse,  for  there  I 
should  be  taught  something,  at  least.  But  you'll  let 
me  help  you3  sir?" 


310  Cartagena 


"Yes,  Frank,"  said  the  doctor,  gratefully,  "you 
shall  be  my  little  nurse,  and  I'll  try  and  build  your 
strength  up  if  I  can.  Woodside,  you'll  see  the  first 
lieutenant,  and  get  permission  for  Frank  to  hang  his 
hammock  here,  won't  you?" 

Woodside  did  as  requested,  and,  having  arranged 
matters  to  Stewart's  satisfaction,  asked  if  anything 
more  could  be  done  for  the  invalid's  comfort. 

"You  must  be  off  to  your  duty,  my  dear  fellow," 
replied  Stewart;  "but  if  you  have  time  after  your  ex 
pedition  up  yonder,  bring  Hay  with  you,  for  I  must 
see  him  once  more,  if  I  can,  before  I  grow  too  weak 
to  talk  with  him.  If  you  could  bring  me  a  canteen 
of  fresh  water  from  a  spring,  it  would  be  a  great 
luxury  here,  for  our  water  is  almost  putrid  now." 

"There's  no  time  like  the  present,"  said  Woodside 
abruptly;  and  at  once,  going  on  deck,  he  called  to 
Hay,  who  came  quickly  on  board,  bringing  a  small 
keg,  and  a  native  bag  of  coarse,  tough  grass,  both  of 
which  he  brought  into  the  captain's  quarters. 

"Here  are  some  limes,"  said  Woodside  heartily, 
"and  the  water,  if  warm,  is  sweet  and  pure.  Come 
Frank,  let  us  leave  the  captain  for  a  moment."  And 
taking  the  boy  by  the  hand,  the  two  went  out  upon 
deck,  and  stood  silently  looking  out  over  the  lagoon, 
whose  sluggish  tide  swept  slowly  past  the  refuse, 
cast  overboard  by  the  ships. 

Suddenly  a  splash  was  heard  some  fifty  yards 
away,  and  amid  a  melange  of  shavings,  drift  weed, 
lumber  and  other  refuse,  the  great  dorsal  fins  of 
two  or  three  sharks  were  seen  cutting  the  water,  and 
then  the  water  flew  into  foam  as  they  tore  and 


The  Last  of  Earth  311 

tugged  at  some  object  which  could  not  be  dis 
tinguished. 

"What  can  they  be  fighting  over?"  asked  the  lieu 
tenant  curiously;  but  he  felt  the  little  hand  tighten 
on  his,  and  looking  down  he  saw  the  boy's  face 
whiten  and  the  blue  eyes  almost  convulsed  with 
horror. 

"They  say  that  shot  are  getting  scarce,  sir,"  he 
said  with  an  effort ;  "an'  we  do  see  such  things  every 
day,  but  I  can't  bear  it.  Don't  let  them  throw  me  over 
so  when  I  die,  will  you,  sir?"  And  Woodside  in  his 
turn  saw  with  horror,  that  the  sharks  of  the  lagoon 
were  tearing  to  pieces  the  swollen  corpse  of  an 
European. 

"Don't  fear,  my  boy.  I  hope  to  see  both  you  and 
the  captain  well  and  hearty  yet,  and  if  we  get  home 
to  England,  there's  a  good  home  where  you  shall 
never  want  for  food  or  shelter  while  I  live;  but  if 
not—" 

"If  not,"  said  the  child  quietly,  "you'll  carry  me 
ashore,  will  you  not?  I'm  very  light  and  little,  they 
say.  Don't  take  too  much  trouble,  but  I  would  like 
to  sleep  under  the  trees,  as  my  mother  does  in  dear 
old  England." 

"Don't  fear,  my  boy,"  huskily  answered  the  stout 
soldier,  "you  won't  die,  and  I  shall  see  you  strong 
and  happy  in  England  yet.  But  here  comes  the  ser 
geant,  and  we  must  leave  you  for  to-day." 

Stewart  shook  his  hand  heartily  as  he  took  his 
leave,  "You  will  be  kind  to  the  men  I  know,  if  it 
chance  that  you  take  my  place  over  them.  There  are 
fewr  left  now,  but  they  are  good  brave  fellows  and 


Cartagena 


deserve  better  fortune.  Come  back  if  you  can.  Good 
by  and  God  bless  you." 

"Come  lieutenant,"  said  an  officer  kindly, 
"Knowles  is  getting  out  his  boats,  and  the  signal  of 
recall  is  flying  for  you,"  and  as  men  must  in  time 
of  war,  they  turned  from  their  friend  in  his  extrem 
ity,  and  in  a  short  time  were  pulling  up  the  lagoon. 

"What  had  the  captain  to  say  to  you?"  asked 
Woodside,  after  some  time  spent  in  utter  silence 
and  deep  thought. 

"We  had  some  little  conversation,  sir,  about  va 
rious  matters  relating  to  his  death,  and  the  disposal 
of  his  outfit  and  share  of  plunder;  but  his  great 
anxiety  was  that  he  might  receive  Christian  burial 
at  our  hands." 

"Do  you  think  then,  Hay,  that  he  will  die.  He 
seems  strong  and  in  'his  senses." 

"Aye,  sir !  He  has  his  faculties,  and  is  resigned  to 
God's  providence  beyond  all  I  have  ever  seen  so  near 
to  death,  for  he  talked  of  his  decease  and  burial,  as  if 
of  a  trip  ashore.  But  I've  seen  such  cases  as  this 
before;  the  doctors  call  it  a  walking  case,  sir,  and 
he'll  die  beyond  a  doubt  in  a  few  days  at  most." 

That  afternoon  the  Weymouth,  with  the  cruiser 
sloop,  sailed  over  to  the  western  arm  of  the  lagoon, 
where  a  narrow  channel  leads  between  the  western 
end  of  Varu  and  the  main  land,  affording  a  passage 
to  the  outports  of  Tolu  and  Sina,  whence  supplies  to 
the  forts  and  city  had  been  easily  conveyed  since 
the  commencement  of  the  siege.  The  forts  com 
manding  this  were  two  in  number,  mounting  four 
and  eight  guns  respectively;  but  no  defense  was 


The  Last  of  Earth  313 

made,  and  the  sloop  and  the  boats  dashed  up  a 
creek  on  the  main  shore,  meeting  with  no  opposition 
save  a  few  harmless  volleys  of  musketry,  which  were 
quickly  silenced  by  a  shower  of  grape  poured  into 
the  wooded  slopes  surrounding  the  river. 

Near  the  plantation,  at  its  mouth,  were  moored 
six  or  seven  large  "Sinu  hulks,"  as  they  were  called, 
being  canoes  constructed  from  gigantic  trees,  some 
of  them  fifty  feet  long  and  of  a  burden  of  twenty 
tons,  yet  so  thin  and  light  that  their  draft  wras 
something  almost  miraculous. 

A  few  of  the  boats  landed,  their  crews  foraging 
wTith  fair  success,  and  the  little  flotilla  returned  to 
the  fleet,  and  the  next  day,  as  nothing  especial  oc 
curred,  Woodside  visited  his  friend,  finding  him 
weaker,  but  calm,  if  not  hopeful,  and  sedulously  at 
tended  by  the  little  powder-boy,  wrho  seemed  to  en 
joy  the  fruit  and  wine  which  Woodside  had  pro 
cured  for  their  comfort,  but  he  seemed  to  grow  weak 
almost  as  fast  as  his  older  companion. 

So  strongly  impressed  was  Woodside  with  the  be 
lief  that  both  were  dangerously  ill,  that  he  proposed 
to  stay  on  board  that  night,  but  Stewart  negatived 
the  proposition. 

"No,  Woodside,  it  must  not  be;  you  have  your 
duties,  and  to-morrow  you  tell  me  the  fleet  are  to 
move  on  Castillo  Grande;  you  will  need  rest,  and  I 
if  I  cannot  fight  can  still  watch  and  pray,  and  bear 
what  the  will  of  our  Heavenly  Father  has  ordained. 
Come  to  see  me  whenever  you  can,  but  don't  take 
a  man  from  his  duty  for  my  sake." 

That  night,  as  the  morning  drew  near  at  hand, 


314  Cartagena 


Stewart  called  to  his  little  nurse,  whose  hammock 
lay  within  reach,  and  asked  him  to  hand  him  a  drink 
from  a  shelf  beside  him.  The  child  aroused  himself 
and  essayed  to  pass  the  cup,  but  it  dropped  from  his 
fingers  on  the  deck  and  wras  dashed  to  pieces. 

"What  is  the  matter,  Frank?"  said  Stewart  quick 
ly.  "Do  you  feel  any  worse,  dear  boy?" 

"No,  sir ;  only  very  weak  and  cold.  I — I  think,  sir, 
I  am  going  to  rny  mother.  I  am  sorry  I  broke  the 
cup." 

"Never  mind  that,  dear,"  answered  Stewart  "I'll 
try  and  make  some  one  hear  outside,  for  I  feel  too 
weak  to  rise,  and  think  I  am  going  with  you.  Are  you 
afraid?" 

"No,  sir,  I'm  not  afraid  to  die.  Mother  said  that  I 
must  keep  myself  pure  and  good,  so  that  I  could 
come  to  her  in  heaven,  and  that  God  would  love  us 
then,  and  never  let  me  weep  or  suffer  any  more." 

"Give  me  your  wrist,  Frank,"  said  the  doctor,  his 
old  habits  for  a  moment  clouding  his  mind.  "One, 
two,  three,  four,  five, — h'm !  weak  and  thready."  But 
the  little  fingers  sought  his  own,  and  soon  the  face 
of  the  child  was  drawn  close  to  the  breast  of  the  dy 
ing  man. 

"We  shall  have  no  sorrow  there,  child,"  he  said 
feebly;  "neither  sorrow  nor  crying,  for  the  former 
things  have  passed  away.  And  yet,  my  wife  and 
children — it  seems  hard  to  pass  away  with  none  of 
all  my  loved  ones  to  say  farewell,  without  one  whose 
lips  I  can  kiss  in  token  of  parting." 

"I  love  you,  sir,"  said  the  child;  "and  I  am  sorry 
that  your  children  are  so  far  away.  I've  never 


The  Last  of  Earth  315 

kissed  anyone  since  mother  died;  but  I  would  like  to 
kiss  you  just  once,  for  you  have  been  so  kind  to  me." 

The  dying  man  with  an  effort  raised  himself,  and 
pressed  his  lips  to  those  of  the  lad.  "May  God  bless 
you,  my  child,"  he  said,  "and  take  you  into  His  eter 
nal  kingdom,  through  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord." 

Exhausted,  he  sank  back  upon  his  pillow,  and 
Frank  scarcely  knew  when  the  strong,  brave  spirit 
passed  away,  save  that  the  kindly  grasp  relaxed  and 
the  loosening  fingers  were  strangely  cold  and  chill. 

Then  the  child  broke  into  a  weak  but  bitter  cry 
which  brought  the  watch  to  the  scene  of  death,  and, 
as  in  the  grey  of  the  morning  Woodside  pulled  along 
side,  anxious  about  his  comrade,  the  body  of  the  good 
captain  had  already  been  prepared  for  burial,  being 
sewed  up  in  the  hammock  he  had  occupied  while  liv 
ing. 

With  little  difficulty  he  obtained  permission  to 
bury  the  body  on  shore,  and  hastily  rowing  to  the 
inner  shore  of  Boca  Chica,  they  excavated  a  shallow 
grave  beneath  the  shadow  of  a  huge  mahogany  tree 
and  laid  their  sorrowful  burden  therein. 

On  their  return  to  the  ship,  Lieutenant  Woodside 
visited  little  Frank,  who  was  visibly  sinking  fast. 
"Don't  weep,  sir,"  said  he,  "I  am  glad  that  I  am  go 
ing.  I  shall  soon  be  with  my  dear  mother  and  the 
good  captain.  I  am  sorry  that  I  could  not  have  gone 
with  him  last  night,  and  been  buried  with  him  un 
der  the  trees  and  flowers,  but  God  knows  best." 

A  rough  old  sea  dog  sat  near  at  hand,  fanning 
away  the  flies,  and  striving  to  create  a  coolness  in 
the  stifling  atmosphere.  Woodside  turned  to  him 


316  Cartagena 


and  said,  "You  know,  comrade,  what  Frank  wants, 
and  I  must  go  to  my  duty.  Here  are  five  guineas. 
Take  care  of  him  well,  and  if  I  cannot  return,  do  for 
him  what  I  would  do  if  I  could." 

"Avast  there,  sir,  Ben  Moreham  doesn't  take 
money  for  such  service,  an'  there  isn't  a  man  in  the 
ship,  that  'ud  see  poor  Franky  here  want  for  any 
thing,  alive  or  dead.  I  thank  your  honor  though  all 
the  same,  an'  unless  we're  engaged,  all  shall  be  done 
as  he  wishes." 

"O,  thank  you,  Ben,  and  you  too,  Mr.  Woodside.  I 
am  so  glad  that  I  shall  sleep  my  last  sleep  beside 
him." 

The  great  tears  were  rolling  down  the  face  of  the 
captain  of  the  main-top,  and  Woodside  and  Stephen 
could  no  longer  restrain  their  own  emotions. 

"God  bless  and  keep  you,  dear  child,"  said  the  lat 
ter,  lying  his  hand  gently  on  the  pale  young  brow. 
"Good  bye  until  wre  meet  again,  here  or  hereafter." 

Stooping  he  kissed  the  childish  lips,  and  received 
a  thankful  smile  that  told  but  too  sadly  of  the  vast 
thirst  for  and  wealth  of  love,  which  had  so  long  been 
restrained  and  pent  up  in  the  orphan's  heart,  and 
then  went  with  a  heavy  heart  to  the  waiting  boat. 

Woodside  would  have  spoken  but  could  not,  and 
pressing  the  tiny  hand,  kissed  the  child  in  token  of 
parting,  rushed  upon  deck,  and  pushing  off  into  the 
still  lagoon  sought  the  side  of  the  Weymouth, 
whose  boats  were  already  in  the  water,  and  prepar 
ing  for  service. 

Two  days  later,  the  English  lieutenant  heard  from 
Ben  Moreham  that  Frank  had  died  the  same  day, 


The  Last  of  Earth  317 

and  had  been  buried  beside  the  grave  of  Captain 
Stewart. 

The  will  of  the  latter,  as  contained  in  the  register 
of  probate  for  the  County  of  Suffolk,  Mass.,  Vol.  34, 
Folio  480,  and  the  inventory  of  his  estate  in  the  suc 
ceeding  volume,  are  all  that  are  left  to  tell  of  the 
fate  of  this  brave  soldier  and  good  man,  who  doubt 
less  died  a  martyr  to  his  exertions  in  behalf  of  his 
comrades;  whom  he  saw  perishing  around  him 
through  a  lack  of  food,  pure  water,  shelter  and  at 
tendance,  and  the  utter  inefficiency  and  culpable 
jealousy  of  their  commanders. 

Through  those  papers  it  appears  that  he  left  a  son, 
John  Viscount  Stewart,  who  was  married  and  pos 
sessed  a  son,  but  of  the  subsequent  fortunes  of  his 
family  nothing  can  be  substantiated,  for  the  news 
papers  of  the  period  do  not  contain  even  a  brief 
notice  of  his  death. 


Chapter    XXII. 

Gastillo   Grande 

But,  in  war,  the  death  of  a  friend  is  but  an  inci 
dent  soon  overlooked,  if  not  forgotten,  in  the  intense 
interest  of  the  greater  tragedy  which  war  presents 
to  the  spectator  and  actor  alike;  and  Woodside,  on 
reporting  the  death  of  his  senior  officer,  was  at  once 
recommended  by  Captain  Knowles  to  take  command 
of  his  men,  and  to  leave  the  charge  of  the  whaleboat 
to  his  sergeant,  Stephen  Hay. 

"He  is  perfectly  competent,"  said  Woodside  mag 
nanimously;  "but  I  hate  to  be  parted  from  him;  and 
the  life  of  my  poor  men  on  board  the  fleet  is  not  so 
pleasant  that  I  like  the  prospect  of  returning  to  it." 

"I  don't  blame  you,  sir,"  said  Knowles  pleasantly; 
"but  duty  must  be  obeyed,  and  I  think  I  can  promise 
you,  that  our  future  operations  will  be  more  decided 
and  successful  than  those  of  the  siege  below." 

"I  obey,"  said  Woodside;  "but  I  would  rather  stay 
with  my  men  as  a  simple  lieutenant  than  take  my 
step,  and  lie  stifling  on  board  those  motionless  hulks 
down  the  lagoon." 

That  night  the  boats  of  the  Weymouth  were 
manned  at  dusk,  and  the  officers  in  charge  were  met 
on  deck  by  Captain  Knowles,  who  gave  them  their 
orders  in  person. 

"As  you  know,  gentlemen,"  said  he,  "we  have  to 
force  a  passage  closed  by  seven  sunken  galleons,  ex 
cept  a  channel  guarded  by  the  Conquistador  GO,  the 


Castillo    Grande  319 


Dragon  60  and  the  Castillo  Grande.  It  is  important 
that  we  should,  so  far  as  we  can,  shut  up  the  gar 
rison  in  the  fort  and  take  them  with  the  men  of  war 
and  their  crews.  It  may  be,  however,  that  they  may 
determine  to  reinforce  the  fleet  and  fort,  and  fight 
for  the  city  at  this  point,  and  therefore  you  must  see 
that  they  do  not  get  men  and  ammunition  down  here 
without  our  knowing  it,  or  send  out  a  flotilla  to  sur 
prise  this  or  any  other  vessel  of  the  fleet. 

"You  will  therefore  keep  as  near  as  may  be  to  the 
enemy  as  you  can  without  risking  a  broadside,  and 
in  case  of  the  approach  of  boats  will  warn  each 
other,  by  the  flash  of  a  pistol,  and,  if  the  enemy  is  in 
force,  by  the  sending  up  of  the  rockets,  with  which 
each  boat  should  be  provided. 

"You  will  be  provided  with  food,  and  extra  spirit 
rations  will  be  given  to  the  men  thus  exposed  to 
the  night  air  and  fog;  and  I  have  no  doubt,  gen 
tlemen,  that  you  will  give  us  a  good  account  of  your 
night  service." 

As  the  officers  were  about  to  embark,  a  midship 
man  summoned  Sergeant  Hay  to  the  captain's  cabin, 
and  entering  with  some  little  trepidation  at  so  un 
wonted  a  summons,  Stephen  found  only  the  com 
mander,  who  looked  up  quickly  from  a  mass  of  plans 
and  papers,  which  from  his  capacity  as  engineer  of 
a  fleet,  engaged  in  siege  operations,  ever  lay  on 
the  table  of  his  great  cabin. 

"I  expect  a  service  a  little  out  of  the  common  from 
you  to-night,  sergeant,"  he  said  quickly.  "I  want  to 
send  one  boat  inside  of  the  Spanish  line,  and  have 
chosen  vour  wrhaler  and  her  crew." 


320  Cartagena 


"You  do  us  great  honor,"  said  Stephen,  gladly. 
"We  have  made  paddles  for  her,  and  can  go  almost 
as  noiselessly  as  an  Indian  canoe,  and  as  to  draught, 
a  foot  of  water  is  all  we  want." 

"That  is  excellent/'  said  the  commander,  rubbing 
his  hands,  "and  now  to  your  duty.  The  council  of 
war  seems  to  expect  a  deal  of  fighting  here,  but  I 
think  it  doubtful,  and  shall  keep  my  boats  ready  to 
act,  should  the  Spaniards  sink  their  men-of-war  and 
try  to  escape  in  boats.  So  I  want  you  to  pass 
through  or  over  the  sunken  vessels,  or  up  the  lagoon 
of  La  Quinta  here  to  the  right,  so  as  to  observe  any 
movement  in  the  inner  bay,  and,  if  you  see  the  Span 
iards  leaving  the  fort  for  the  town,  send  up  the  sig 
nal  rockets  with  which  you  are  provided;  but  if  a 
strong  force  comes  to  reinforce  the  castle  you  may 
return  as  quickly  as  may  be  without  signaling.  The 
service  is  one  of  great  peril,  but  I  think  you  may 
always  escape  by  way  of  the  lagoon  to  the  west 
ward." 

"I  thank  you  heartily,"  said  Hay,  as  he  rose  to  go, 
"but  is  it  asking  too  much,  to  request  that  the  other 
boats  may  Ipe  detained  half  an  hour  after  I  move  off, 
with  orders  then  to  move  until  within  sight  of  the 
Spanish  picket  boats  off  the  fort.  I  think  we  may 
then  pass  without  danger  near  the  Manzanilla  side." 

Knowles  smiled.  "The  idea  is  a  good  one,  but  not 
audacious  enough  to  give  the  best  results.  I  will 
send  the  boats  at  once  to  the  Manzanilla  side,  and 
let  them  fire  a  rocket  or  two  if  need  be  to  attract  the 
notice  of  the  guard  boats.  In  the  meantime  you 
wrill  pull  to  the  inland  side  of  the  fort,  and  paddle, 
close  in  under  the  land,  into  the  inner  harbor." 


Castillo    Grande  321 

"It  shall  be  done,"  said  Stephen,  as  he  turned  to 
go.  "It  is  easy  to  see  that  your  plan  is  better  than 
mine,  for  they  won't  dream  of  our  daring  to  pass  un 
der  the  muzzles  of  their  cannon." 

Ten  minutes  later  the  yawls  and  cutters  with 
muffled  oars  wrere  gliding  up  the  lagoon  to  the  right, 
and  at  the  expiration  of  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes 
the  crew  of  the  whaler,  with  noiseless  strokes  of 
their  greenheart  paddles,  impelled  their  light  craft 
toward  the  island  of  Tierra  Bomba,  from  wiiose 
southern  extremity  a  long  neck  of  land,  bordered  by 
mangrove  marshes,  extended  and  formed  the  natu 
ral  break-water  of  the  inner  bay  of  Cartagena. 

As  they  shot  in  under  the  shadows  of  the  land, 
they  saw  an  instantaneous  flash  afar  off  to  the  right, 
and  a  moment  later  a  score  of  musket  shots,  farther 
up  the  harbor,  told  that  the  advance  had  suddenly 
encountered  a  Spanish  guard  boat. 

"Drive  her  hard,  boys,"  whispered  Hay,  as  he 
swerved  off  from  a  projecting  clump  of  mangroves 
and  felt  his  steering  paddle  strike  on  a  submerged 
root.  "We're  wrell  up  now  and  inside  the  Spanish 
boats,  I  think.  Xow  not  a  word;  there's  the  fort 
ahead,  and  wre  must  go  by  it,  or  wre  are  prisoners  to 
the  Spaniards  an  hour  hence." 

The  men  at  his  whisper  sent  the  boat  flying  over 
the  shallows,  until  in  the  darkness  the  white  walls  of 
the  fort  seemed  almost  within  reach,  and  then,  as 
the  word  of  command  passed  from  one  to  another, 
the  paddles  struck  slower  and  more  silently,  until 
they  glided  under  the  shadow  of  the  pier  which  pro 
jected  into  the  water  in  front  of  the  massive  walls, 


322  Cartagena 


in  whose  embrasures  a  light  here  and  there  gave  to 
view  the  forms  of  Spanish  soldiers  and  marines,  en 
gaged,  as  it  seemed,  in  preparing  their  arms  and 
equipments  for 'immediate  movement  of  some  kind. 

Suddenly  Hay  turned  the  prow  in  under  a  por 
tion  of  an  old  wharf,  evidently  little  used,  and  catch 
ing  at  the  rotting  piles  arrested  the  progress  of  the 
boat,  while,  at  the  same  moment  the  sound  of  pad 
dles  was  heard  and  a  long  low  canoe  came  swiftly 
by  the  colonists  and  drew  up  beside  the  masonry 
sea  wall,  not  fifty  feet  away.  The  arrival  was  ex 
pected,  it  seemed,  for  several  men  at  her  coming  ap 
peared  at  the  landing,  and  aided  those  she  con 
tained  to  ascend  the  face  of  the  wall. 

As  they  disappeared  in  the  darkness,  Hay  pushed 
on  under  the  old  pier  until  the  boat  emerged  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  wharf,  and  paddling  eastward 
they  soon  rounded  the  point,  and  saw  the  lighted  in 
shore  ports  of  the  Spanish  war  vessels  between 
them  and  the  outer  bay. 

"We're  in  at  last/'  whispered  Hay  to  Coggeshall, 
who  pulled  the  after  oar,  "and  now  for  a  look  up  the 
harbor.  We  must  keep  inshore,  I  think,  and  cross 
over  well  up  the  bay." 

"Yes ;  but  I  wouldn't  keep  too  fur  in,  although  our 
best  holt  is  the  woods;  in  case  we're  cut  off  by  boats. 
We  can  al'ays  get  down  to  Boca  Chica  by  land,  ef 
so  be  they  don't  send  out  a  party  from  the  fort." 

"Hush !  there  are  boats  coming,"  whispered  Unte- 
quit,  and  looking  up  the  bay,  a  long  string  of  clumsy 
objects  were  seen  approaching  through  the  darkness, 
and  keeping  wrell  in  under  the  shadow  of  the  shore. 


Castillo    Grande  323 

The  boat's  grapnel  was  let  down  and  the  crew, 
crouching  below  the  gunwale,  loosened  the  pistols 
in  their  belts  and  awaited  with  patience  the  coming 
flotilla.  The  first  boats  wrere  large  launches  and 
long-boats  filled  with  men,  and  by  the  light  of  one 
or  two  horn  lanterns,  Hay  saw  that  they  were  armed 
and  ready  for  service.  He  accordingly  abandoned 
the  idea  of  signalling  the  fleet  and  began  to  count 
the  passing  boats,  which  soon  became  less  crowded 
but  of  larger  size  and  evidently  intended  for  carry 
ing  heavy  burdens.  The  voices  of  negroes,  whose 
heavy  oars  splashed  heavily  at  every  stroke,  also 
told  that  no  attack  wTas  intended,  and  almost  before 
they  knew  it  a  great  Sinu  hulk  shot  past  inside 
them,  impelled  over  the  shallows  by  long  setting 
poles  and  the  ebbing  tide. 

"We're  right  in  the  middle  of  them,"  said  Jones, 
nervously,  "an'  thar's  a  big  one  coming  right  down 
upon  us.  Cut  loose  thar,  Untequit,  or  she'll  be  over 


He  was  about  to  rise,  but  Hay  laid  one  hand  upon 
his  shoulder  and  the  other  upon  his  mouth:  "Si 
lence!"  he  whispered;  "leave  all  to  Untequit.  He 
will  carry  us  clear  if — " 

In  the  darkness  the  blunt  bows  of  a  huge  Sinu 
hulk  seemed  close  upon  them,  but  the  Indian,  with 
a  stroke  of  his  paddle,  warded  off  the  coming  blow, 
and  then  threw  himself  down  into  the  bottom  of  the 
boat  as  the  tree  canoe  rubbed  and  grated  past. 

There  were  expressions  of  surprise  and  alarm 
from  those  on  board,  and  one  man  dropped  his  set 
ting  pole  and  ran  aft  to  seize  the  waif,  as  he  took 


324  Cartagena 


the  boat  to  be,  but  the  speed  of  the  hulk  was  too 
great,  and  as  she  disappeared  in  the  darkness,  Hay 
ordered  Untequit  to  take  in  the  grapnel,  and  send 
ing  his  men  to  the  paddles  struck  off  across  the  har 
bor  to  the  westward. 

With  the  greatest  care  the  men  paddled  silently 
off,  Untequit  peering  sharply  into  the  misty  dark 
ness  and  Stephen  keeping  his  course  by  the  aid  of  a 
star  in  the  occidental  heavens.  Suddenly  a  muffled 
rap  was  heard  on  the  bow,  and  Stephen,  recognizing 
an  old  hunting  signal,  swerved  his  boat  to  the  right, 
and  laying  aside  his  paddle  seized  his  musket  and 
listened  intently  to  the  sound  of  oars  drawing 
nearer  and  nearer. 

"  'Tis  a  guard  boat.  Give  way,  men,"  he  whis 
pered  hoarsely,  and  taking  to  their  oars  the  men 
pulled  for  life,  and  Stephen,  plying  his  paddle  with 
desperate  energy,  headed  his  light  craft  for  the 
harbor's  mouth,  where  an  occasional  battle-lantern 
showed  the  presence  of  the  Spanish  ships. 

A  startled  and  confused  hail  behind  them  told 
that  their  presence  had  been  discovered,  and  the 
quick  rattle  of  unmuffled  oars  close  behind,  grew  in 
distinct  but  tardily,  though  the  men  bent  the  long 
ash  oars  like  slender  poles,  as  with  long  regular 
powerful  strokes  they  almost  lifted  the  boat  above 
the  waves,  in  her  rush  toward  the  dangerous  pass 
where  fort  and  warship,  picket  boat  and  sunken 
wreck,  lay  between  them  and  safety. 

"We're  close  aboard  the  fleet,  now,"  muttered 
Jones,  as  he  turned  his  head;  "they  ain't  more 
then  twenty  rod  away.  Wliy  don't  you  keep  away 


Castillo    (Ji-ande  325 

to  the  westward  by  Manzanilla,  whar  some  of  our 
men  landed  tother  day  an'  burnt  the  fort?" 

"The  boldest  way's  the  safest,"  said  Stephen,  in 
low  clear  tones  which  thrilled  every  man  in  the  boat. 
"Keep  the  oars  going,  and  your  weapons  ready.  I'm 
going  right  along  side  of  this  ship  ahead." 

At  this  moment  the  black  hulk  of  one  of  the  men- 
of-war  was  just  ahead,  and  by  the  light  of  a  lantern 
or  two  Stephen  saw  that  no  boats  were  alongside, 
or  at  the  booms,  while  her  open  ports  showed  the 
yawning  muzzles  of  her  lower  deck  guns,  almost 
even  with  the  water's  edge.  An  impulse  to  pull 
along  side  struck  him,  but  bold  as  he  was  he  shrank 
from  so  reckless  an  act,  and  the  next  moment  he 
saw  before  him  the  line  of  dusky  objects  which  he 
took  to  be  the  cordon  of  picket  boats  of  the  Spanish 
fleet. 

There  seemed  to  be  a  score  of  them,  more  or  less, 
but  they  lay  in  nearly  equal  numbers  to  right  and 
left,  and  Hay  determined  to  take  the  middle  channel 
and  trust  to  his  boat's  speed  for  safety. 

Again  the  men  bent  to  their  oars  until  the  boat 
seemed  fairly  flying  through  the  water,  and  Stephen, 
as  he  neared  the  broken  line,  expected  every  instant 
to  hear  the  brief,  hoarse  challenge  and  the  quickly 
succeeding  volley,  which  could  hardly  fail  to  wound 
or  kill  at  such  narrow  quarters. 

The  line  was  not  a  rod  away  when  Untequit  ut 
tered  a  word  which  raised  a  load  of  uncertain  ap 
prehension  from  every  heart.  "Masts!"  was  whis 
pered  from  one  to  another;  and  as  they  shot  past, 
Hay  saw  that  they  were  indeed  the  masts  of  the 
vessels  sunken  to  close  the  main  channel. 


326  Cartagena 


At  a  word  from  their  sergeant,  the  men  now  took 
in  their  oars  and  paddled  cautiously  along  the  line 
of  wrecks  toward  the  port  side,  until  they  again  saw 
the  white  walls  of  Castillo  Grande  and  its  lighted 
embrasures;  but  this  time  half  a  dozen  boats  were 
seen  lying  between  them  and  the  bay. 

Silently,  the  men  simply  reversed  their  seats, 
and  paddled,  stern  first,  back  along  the  line  of  ob 
structions,  keeping  close  to  the  masts  and  rigging, 
amid  which  the  ebbing  tide  eddied  and  gurgled, 
leaving  amid  them  rafts  of  sea-tangle,  and  the  va 
ried  flotsam  and  jetsam  of  the  lagoon. 

Once  more  they  lay  in  the  main  channel;  and  this 
time,  as  no  boats  were  in  sight,  Hay  determined  to 
trust  to  fortune,  and  make  a  straight  course  for  the 
ship.  He  accordingly  ordered  his  men  to  lay  aside 
their  upper  clothing;  gave  them  a  dram  from  the  ex 
tra  rations  ordered  by  Capt.  Knowles;  saw  that 
every  man  had  his  weapons  ready  for  instant  use, 
and  then  felt  the  light  craft  tremble  and  writhe  be 
neath  him  under  the  Herculean  efforts  of  his  crew. 

But,  to  his  surprise,  no  angry  hail  or  sudden  mus 
ket  shot  greeted  his  ears;  and  after  a  mile  of  ex 
hausting  rowing,  he  deemed  the  picket  boats  eluded, 
and  saw  not  far  away  the  lights  of  the  Weymouth 
and  her  consorts. 

"Take  it  easy,  boys,"  he  said,  and  was  about  to  re 
place  his  coat,  laid  aside  in  preparation  for  the  dan 
gerous  adventure  he  had  achieved,  when  he  heard 
to  the  left  the  splash  of  oars,  and  saw  a  boat  emerg 
ing  from  the  gloom  behind. 

A  bright  flash  seemed  to  blind,  a  crashing  roar 


Castillo    (Jraude  327 

deafened  and  stunned  him;  the  next  moment  he  was 
in  the  water  with  the  wreckage  of  the  whaler 
around  him,  and  a  blow  on  the  head  placed  him  be 
yond  the  power  of  knowing  aught  farther  of  the  mis 
adventure. 

When  he  came  to  himself,  however,  it  was  nearly 
day,  and  he  lay  in  his  hammock  on  board  the  Wey- 
mouth,  which  seemed  to  be  under  way  and  prepar 
ing  for  action,  for  her  crew  were  at  quarters,  and 
the  rattle  of  blocks  and  cordage  came  to  his  ears, 
with  the  utterance  of  the  quaint  orders  incident  to 
nautical  manoeuvres. 

At  last  the  rattle  of  the  chains  were  heard,  and 
the  splash  of  the  anchors  as  they  fell  into  the  sea; 
and  as  at  rest  the  ship  lay  motionless  upon. the  tide, 
the  roar  of  half  a  dozen  heavy  guns  made  her  reel 
and  tremble,  but  the  gunners,  as  they  reloaded  and 
ran  out  the  cumbrous  engines  of  death,  waited  in 
vain  for  an  answer  that  never  came,  and  soon  laid 
aside  port-fire  and  rammer,  while  the  boatswain's 
whistle  called  away  the  boats  of  the  first  and  second 
divisions. 

Stephen  would  fain  have  sprung  from  his  ham 
mock,  but  he  was  strangely  dizzy  and  weak,  and  .was 
glad  to  lie  down  at  the  command  of  Untequit,  who, 
from  an  open  port,  had  been  watching  the  results  of 
the  ship's  fire. 

"It's  no  use,  master;  the  whaler's  gone,  and  the 
other  boats  are  full.  'Twas  the  enemy's  boat  that 
sunk  us  with  her  swivel,  but  you  were  the  only  one 
hurt,  although  several  muskets  are  lost  in  the  bay." 

"And  the  fort?" 


328  Cartagena 


"This  morning  the  vessels  are  all  sunken,  and  the 
castle  shows  no  sign  of  life  or  answer  to  our  fire. 
The  boats  are  already  on  their  way  to  take  it,  if  any 
enemy  waits  therein." 

A  moment  later  and  hurrahs  broke  from  the  men 
in  the  leading  boats,  and  as  the  charging  seamen  and 
marines  poured  up  the  covered  way  and  into  the 
fort  a  hoarse  cheer  from  the  ship's  crew  answered 
the  exultation  of  their  comrades,  while  Stephen, 
feebly  joining  in  the  cry,  groaned  the  next  moment 
as  he  thought  of  the  misadventure;  which  had  lost 
him  the  happiness  of  reaping  the  full  measure  of 
triumph. 

Untequit  quickly  comprehended  the  cause  of  Ms 
pain.  "Do  not  care,"  he  said.  "The  captain  knows 
what  we  did,  and  was  glad  when  I  told  him  of  the 
boats  which  passed  us  and  the  way  we  came  out  into 
the  bay.  He  asked  many  questions  about  the  ships 
and  sent  the  men  to  quarters,  for  he  said  the  Span 
iards  were  running  away." 

"They've  given  up  the  fort  then,"  said  Stephen, 
"and  now  only  the  city  remains.  I  hope  this  blow 
isn't  going  to  keep  me  here  long." 

"The  doctor  said  you  would  be  all  right  tomor 
row,  but  must  sleep  all  you  can  to-day;  and  I  think 
you  had  better  obey  orders  at  once." 

So  saying,  he  replaced  the  wet  bandages  over  the 
bruise, — for  it  was  little  more,  the  cutlass  having 
turned  in  the  seaman's  hand;  and  when  at  dark  Ste 
phen  awoke,  rested  and  clear  in  mind,  he  learned  of 
the  day's  results. 

Castillo  Grande,  it  seemed,  had  been  deserted  the 


Castillo    Grande  32!) 

preceding  night,  the  Spanish  force  having  previous 
ly  spiked  the  fifty-seven  guns  there  mounted,  sunk 
the  Conquistador  and  Dragon,  and  thrown  their 
powder  into  the  water-cisterns  of  the  castle. 

On  the  1st  of  April,  one  hundred  regulars  and  fifty 
seamen  were  landed,  several  guns  put  in  condition 
for  service,  and,  the  fleet  having  moved  up  from  the 
lower  harbor,  the  Conquistador's  stern  was  hove 
around  with  the  aid  of  powerful  purchases  and  the 
tide,  and  the  Burford,  with  the  bomb-ketches  and 
two  twenty-gun  ships,  warped  through. 

The  next  day,  April  2d,  the  bomb-ketches  and  sev 
eral  guns  of  the  fort  opened  fire  on  a  French  man- 
of-war  lying  near  the  town,  which  was  soon  seen  to 
burst  into  flames,  and  was  completely  consumed. 


Chapter    XXIII. 
Texar   De   Gracias 

Meanwhile  Stephen  had  recovered  from  his  in 
juries,  and  with  the  crew  of  the  lost  whaleboat  went 
back  to  duty,  and  to  the  narrow  quarters  occupied 
by  the  small  remnant  that  was  left  of  the  hundred 
men,  who  had  sailed  from  Nantasket  the  fall  before, 
full  of  courage,  loyalty  and  brilliant  expectation. 

Already  the  rainy  season  was  fast  approaching, 
and  an  occasional  rain  storm,  which  made  the  scup 
pers  a  running  stream  of  water,  accompanied  by  al 
most  incessant  lightning  and  terrible  crashes  of 
thunder,  added  much  to  the  discomforts  of  the  sol 
diers,  and  gave  promise  of  greater  hardships  to  be 
endured,  when  only  the  canvas  of  their  rotten  tents 
should  defend  them  from  the  incessant  rains  of  the 
latter  part  of  April. 

But,  for  a  time,  the  progress  of  events  was  rapid 
and,  encouraging,  and  every  day  brought  some  new 
and  exciting  phase  of  war,  under  the  eyes  of  Stephen 
and  his  companions. 

On  the  3d  of  April  the  Weymouth  warped  into  the 
inner  bay,  and  although  the  guns  of  the  town 
opened  fiercely,  she  received  little  damage,  and  that 
same  evening,  with  the  three  fire-ships  and  the  Crui 
ser  sloop,  warped  over  to  the  southwest  shore  undis 
covered  and  unmolested. 

On  the  4th  the  sloop,  towed  by  the  boats  of  the 
little  squadron,  made  her  way  with  the  young  flood, 


Texar  DC  (Jracias  331 

up  a  narrow  creek,  bordered  by  profuse  vegetation, 
toward  the  plantation  of  Texar  de  Gracias,  formerly 
occupied  by  the  factors  of  the  famous  or  rather  in 
famous,  South  Sea  Company.  A  canny  Scot,  named 
McPherson,  who  had  spent  some  time  in  the  country, 
acted  as  their  guide,  and  warned  the  captain  of  the 
sloop  that  it  was  more  than  likely  that  on  attaining 
a  certain  reach,  where  the  creek  widened,  his  boats 
would  be  fired  upon. 

Accordingly  all  but  two  were  recalled,  and  these, 
working  alternately,  carried  out  kedges  from  either 
bow,  to  which  were  attached  long  ropes  by  means 
of  which  long  lines  of  men,  walking  steadily  aft, 
warped  the  small  vessel  rapidly  toward  the  head  of 
the  estuary. 

The  sloop  had  just  reached  the  bend  of  the  creek, 
and  had  the  kedge  in  use  nearly  under  her  bows, 
wrhen  the  yawl  sent  to  lay  the  second  kedge  returned 
hastily,  the  officer  in  charge  reporting,  as  he  came 
alongside,  that  they  had  seen  Spaniards  in  the 
woods.  The  boats  were  at  once  ordered  under  the 
cover  of  the  vessel,  the  men  sent  to  the  starboard 
battery,  and  a  spring  made  fast  to  the  stream  cable 
to  bring  the  batteries  to  bear  promptly  in  case  of 
need. 

The  kedge  under  the  bows  was  got  inboard,  the 
second  warp  manned  by  all  who  could.be  spared 
from  the  guns,  and  as  the  boatswain's  whistle  rang 
out  merrily  across  the  still  lagoon,  the  measured 
tramp  of  the  men  as  they  walked  aft,  and  the  ripple 
of  the  water  under  the  bows,  told  of  creditable  prog 
ress  and  sufficient  steerage  way. 


Cartagena 


They  ueared  the  kedge,  and  still  no  sign  of  life  or 
human  occupancy  appeared.  The  last  fifty  feet  of 
warp  was  fast  coming  inboard,  and  the  captain 
must  soon  expose  his  men  anew,  or  anchor  in  a  po 
sition  which  might  prove  a  perfect  death-trap  to 
both  vessel  and  crew.  The  captain,  however,  like 
most  of  those  commanding  the  light  vessels  of  Ver- 
non's  fleet,  was  a  man  of  decision  and  action,  and 
his  voice  rang  out  from  the  quarter-deck  to  the  men 
at  the  warp : 

"Lay  aft!  Lay  aft! — handsomely,  men!  Bowse  her 
along!  Out  with  the  other  kedge,  Mr.  Fordyce! 
Keep  a  look-out  there,  forward,  for  the  enemy.  Let 
her  fall  off,  steersman,  if — " 

His  words  were  lost  in  the  roar  of  cannon,  and 
the  whistling  of  grape  and  round  shot  from  an  inno 
cent-looking  copse  of  cottonwoods  and  cedars,  which 
crowned  a  little  elevation  at  the  head  of  the  creek; 
while  from  the  woods  a  scattering  fire  of  musketry 
opened  on  every  hand.  Luckily,  the  fire  of  the  bat 
tery,  although  it  raked  the  vessel  fore  and  aft,  wras 
either  too  high  or  too  low,  and  did  little  damage 
to  aught  but  the  hull  and  rigging;  but  the  fire  of  the 
Spanish  infantry  was  more  fatal,  and  several  men 
dropped  in  the  boats  and  on  the  deck  of  the  vessel. 

"Port  your  helm!  Hard  down! — down,  I  say!" 
roared  the  captain,  angrily;  and  as  the  spokes  flew 
between  the  hands  of  the  quartermaster,  the  bows 
of  the  sloop  fell  off  until,  describing  a  quarter  of  a 
circle,  she  lay  with  her  larboard  battery  bearing  on 
the  masked  breastwork  at  the  head  of  the  reach. 

"Let  go  the  anchor!     Out  with  that  spring  aft, 


Texar  De  Gracias  333 

and  watch  the  drift  of  the  tide!  Clap  a  stand  of 
grape  into  those  starboard  guns  fore  and  aft,  and 
sweep  the  woods  on  either  side.  Are  you  ready,  fore 
and  aft?" 

A  second  discharge  from  the  head  of  the  lagoon 
sent  the  splinters  flying  from  the  bulwarks  and  tops ; 
and  the  men  fairly  growled  their  hoarse  "Aye,  aye, 
sir!"  as  they  hurriedly  swung  their  carronades  and 
light  sixes,  and  stood  by  their  tackle  at  quarters. 

"Then,  fire!" 

The  light  craft  reeled  under  the  recoil  as  the  over 
charged  guns  poured  their  double  charges  of  round 
and  grape  into  the  woods,  whose  slender  palms, 
striped  and  splintered  by  the  iron  storm,  showed  for 
many  years  thereafter  the  effect  of  that  heavy 
broadside.  The  musketry  ceased  as  if  by  magic; 
and,  sending  his  men  to  the  larboard  battery,  the 
captain  of  the  Cruiser  soon  silenced  the  fire  of  the 
enemy,  and  compelled  them  to  retire  the  few  light 
pieces  they  had  placed  in  position. 

By  the  evening  of  the  5th,  the  transports  had  been 
brought  up,  and  the  arrangements  for  the  landing 
were  completed.  Nearly  every  boat  in  the  fleet  was 
made  ready  with  picked  crews,  and  detailed  to  at 
tend  the  several  transports,  which  at  midnight 
raised  a  colored  signal  lantern  at  the  mast-head ;  and 
the  boats,  as  fast  as  their  quota  of  troops  were  re 
ceived,  rendezvoused  under  cover  of  the  Weymouth 
in  the  inner  bay.  Nearly  fourteen  hundred  men,  in 
cluding  about  seven  hundred  Americans  principally 
from  the  northern  colonies,  were  detailed  for  this 
service,  under  the  command  of  Brigadier  Blakeney, 


334  Cartagena 


who,  having  made  his  final  arrangements  for  the 
important  step  about  to  be  taken,  paced  the  quarter 
deck  of  the  Weymouth  impatiently,  now  trying  to 
sweep  the  shore,  still  veiled  by  the  waning  shadows 
of  night  and  the  heavy  morning  mists;  now  casting 
a  hopeful  glance  at  the  eastern  sky,  just  tinged  with 
rosy  light,  the  herald  of  the  coming  sunrise;  and 
again  surveying  the  long  lines  of  silent  men  stand 
ing  at  their  guns  and  the  black  squadron  of  crowded 
boats  lying  under  the  lee  of  the  man-of-war. 

"Will  they  make  a  fight,  Knowles?"  he  asked,  as 
for  the  twentieth  time  he  turned  with  his  companion 
at  the  break  of  the  quarter-deck  to  resume  their  lim 
ited  promenade. 

"I  really  don't  know,"  replied  the  sea  captain, 
quietly.  "I  open  on  yonder  woods  as  soon  as  it  is 
daylight.  Our  brave  tars  will  land  you  while  the 
smoke  is  heavy,  and  at  the  wrorst  you  can  hold  your 
own  on  one  flank  wThile  I  cover  the  other  with 
grape." 

"I  am  sorry,"  said  Blakeney,  gravely,  "that  we 
have  so  few  men  to  take  part  in  today's  action. 
Fourteen  hundred  men  are  not  enough  for  three 
thousand  in  the  field,  and  Don  Sebastian  de  Eslava 
has  more  than  that  number  within  his  works.  We 
ought  to  have  five  thousand  men  to  start  the  dons, 
and  keep  them  going  until  we  are  in  front  of  the 
walls  of  the  city  itself." 

"I  think  so  too ;"  said  Knowles,  under  his  breath, 
"but  the  less  we  say  on  such  matters  the  better  for 
both.  We  must  do  the  best  wre  can  with  the  forces 
at  our  disposal ;  let  the  blame  of  defeat,  if  any,  rest 


Texar  De  Gracias  335 

on  those  who  issue  the  orders  by  which  you  and  I 
must  be  guided.  But  the  light  is  growing  stronger, 
and  the  trees  of  La  Quinta  are  becoming  more  dis 
tinct,  to  my  thinking.  Mr.  Ashton,  tell  the  men  to 
stand  ready  for  the  signal,  and  see  that  every  gun  is 
laid  properly  after  every  discharge.  No  round 
shot  are  to  be  used,  and  the  guns  must  have  greater 
elevation  to  make  the  grape  tell  at  this  distance." 

The  east  grew  bright,  the  sun,  like  a  red  hot  iron 
globe,  rose  above  the  breakers  beyond  the  walls  of 
the  besieged  city,  and  slowly  the  white  fogs  shroud 
ing  the  mangrove  marshes  rose  above  the  dreary 
green  of  the  water  forest,  and  gave  to  view  the  nar 
row  strait  of  the  Texar  de  Gracias,  across  which  a 
narrow'  wooden  bridge  connected  the  main  land  and 
the  fortified  island  of  Manzanilla.  The  woods  came 
down  on  either  side  of  a  narrow  roadway  almost  to 
the  very  landing,  and  in  and  out  of  the  shadows 
of  the  slender  palms,  great  cottonwoods  and  ever 
green  cedars,  darker  shadowrs,  wThich  could  only  be 
men  and  enemies,  moved  with  caution  from  cover  to 
cover,  and  displayed  here  and  there  a  glint  of  steel, 
at  which  the  waiting  gunners  eagerly  pointed  their 
pieces,  and  even  more  impatiently  longed  for  the 
order  to  fire. 

At  last  it  came,  and  the  stately  Weymouth,  Wake- 
man's  tiny  Cruiser  and  the  light  guns  of  the  bomb 
ketches  opened  a  furious  fire  with  grape,  searching 
every  rood  of  forest  with  a  deadly  shower  of 
mitraille,  wThich  left  no  cover  unsearched  which 
might  shelter  more  than  a  handful  of  men.  The 
outer  fortress  of  San  Lazaro  opened  at  a  range  too 


336  Cartagena 


long  to  seriously  damage  vessels  or  men.  But  the 
signal  was  given  and  the  oars  of  the  leading  division 
beat  the  lagoon  into  foam,  and,  as  the  first  boats 
entered  the  narrow  channel,  the  grenadiers  rushed 
up  the  wooded  slopes  and  formed  rapidly  on  the  level 
bridge  head,  taking  ground  to  the  front  and  right  as 
fresh  troops  were  landed.  Here  and  there  a  man  fell 
pierced  by  a  bullet  from  the  forest,  or  an  oar  flew 
into  fragments,  as  a  spent  shot  from  San  Lazaro 
made  its  last  short  ricochet;  but  by  six  o'clock  the 
troops  were  landed,  and  the  grenadiers,  some  seven 
hundred  strong,  under  Col.  Grant,  wrere  ready  to 
lead  the  advance.  No  body  of  the  enemy  had  as  yet 
been  able  to  appear  in  the  field,  so  constant  and 
searching  was  the  fire  of  the  ships;  but  now  for  a 
mile  the  path  to  be  followed  was  a  mere  wheeltrack, 
where  two  carts  could  barely  pass  each  other;  and 
those  Americans  detailed  to  scout  on  the  right  flank, 
or  inland  side  of  the  force,  soon  found  themselves 
struggling  through  a  growth  so  close  and  interlaced 
with  thorns,  lianas  and  hanging  vines,  that,  despite 
their  greatest  efforts,  the  heavy  but  regular  march 
of  the  grenadiers  far  outstripped  their  most  agile 
rangers.  Several  men  fell  in  the  front  platoon,  but 
the  veterans  closed  up  promptly,  and  the  ambushed 
foemen,  retiring  unharmed,  were  soon  seen  running 
across  an  opening  beyond  the  defile,  entering  which, 
the  grenadiers  halted  to  allow  their  scouts  to  close 
up,  and  to  make  ready  for  the  decisive  moment, 
which  now  seemed  close  at  hand. 

On  the  right,  the  plain  sloped  down  to  the  lagoon, 
here  not  more  than  two   or  three  feet   deep,  and 


Texar  De  Gracias  337 

thickly  filled  with  mangrove  trees,  the  haunt  of 
many  wading  birds,  which  rose  alarmed  at  the  un 
wonted  intrusion  and  the  roar  of  artillery  from  the 
distant  ships;  although  it  was  noticed  that  they 
heeded  the  latter  far  less  than  the  presence  of  man. 

Hay  and  his  Indian  comrade  were  on  the  left 
flank  of  the  line  of  scouts,  and  therefore,  when  the 
colonists  were  once  more  sent  into  the  woods,  some 
twenty  paces  to  the  right  of  the  road,  were  close 
to  the  grenadiers,  who  in  serried  platoons,  four 
ranks  deep,  with  their  bayonets  fixed  and  muskets 
at  the  charge,  advanced  with  steady  step  against  the 
Spaniards,  who,  to  the  number  of  some  hundreds, 
just  then  took  up  their  position  on  the  highroad, 
which  at  right  angles  crossed  the  way  leading  to 
La  Quinta. 

Keeping  a  little  in  advance,  Hay  and  his  compan 
ions  several  times  discharged  their  muskets  at  out 
lying  Spaniards,  mostly  citizens  or  hunters  from  the 
inland  estancias,  who,  with  their  long-barreled, 
small-bored  Spanish  guns,  were  preparing  to  fire  on 
the  officers  of  the  grenadiers.  One  of  these,  a  red- 
haired  and  bearded  giant,  fell  at  the  report  of  Unte- 
quit's  musket,  and  as  the  ranger  came  up  to  his 
victim,  he  very  speedily  slung  his  own  clumsy 
piece,  and,  appropriating  the  arms  and  accoutre 
ments  of  the  fallen  man,  proceeded  to  use  them 
against  the  Spaniards. 

All  at  once,  as  the  distance  between  the  approach 
ing  foes  narrowed,  the  Spanish  skirmishers,  with  a 
last  ineffectual  fire,  ran  in,  and  the  front  rank  of  the 
enemy  fired  a  volley  which  filled  the  road  with  dust 


338  Cartagena 


and  smoke,  through  which  the  red  flashes  of  a  sec 
ond  discharge  broke  fiercely  in  the  very  faces  of  the 
grenadiers. 

But,  as  the  smoke  cleared  away,  the  veterans, 
with  accelerated  step,  closed  up  the  ranks,  swept  up 
to  within  half  gunshot  of  the  foe,  raised  their  guns 
to  the  level  of  the  breast  and  fired.  The  crash  was 
almost  like  that  of  a  single  cannon,  and  the  effects 
fatal,  although  Hay  and  his  comrades  looked  at  each 
other,  with  a  curl  of  the  lip  that  bespoke  unspeak 
able  contempt  for  such  machine-like  firing,  Avhere 
no  aim  could  be  taken. 

"They've  skercely  teched  one,"  said  Gibbs,  "an7  I 
declar'  to  gracious  they're  runnin'.  Look  at  'em 
turnin'  about,  an'  thar's  them  bloody  Spaniards  a 
hollerin'  an'  hootin'." 

The  wild  and  contemptuous  yells  and  curses  of  the 
Spaniards,  and  their  Indian  allies  were  indeed  dis 
tinctly  audible;  and,  as  Hay  sprang  into  the 
bough  of  a  ceiba  to  look,  he  saw  the  head  of 
the  column  break,  and  for  a  moment  he  feared  the 
worst.  The" next  instant,  however,  he  saw  that  the 
first  platoon,  after  delivering  its  fire,  had  parted  in 
the  centre,  wheeling  to  right  and  left,  while  the  sec 
ond,  marching  straight  forward,  delivered  another 
crashing  volley  and  wrheeled  in  turn,  giving  way  to 
the  third  platoon,  and  so  on,  until  the  bewildered 
and  stricken  Spaniards,  seeing  each  platoon  by  some 
inexplicable  manoeuvre  deliver  its  fire  nearer  and 
nearer  every  moment,  incontinently  turned  and  fled, 
while  the  grenadiers,  pushing  steadily  after  them, 
entered  at  last  the  high  road  to  Cartagena. 


Texar  De  Gracias  339 

Hay  dropped  lightly  from  his  perch  and  rejoined 
his  old  comrades,  who  wide-eyed  and  open  mouthed, 
had  for  the  first  time  witnessed  the  passage  of  a 
defile  by  disciplined  troops. 

"I  swan,"  said  Gibbs,  "thet  was  pretty,  thet  was. 
I  don't  believe  any  thin'  could  stan'  ag'iiist  them 
grenadiers." 

"Ef  they  could  shoot  straight  they  could  whip 
anythin',"  said  Jones,  contemptuously,  "but  I 
reckon  ef  the  Spaniards  lied  held  thar  fire  they 
would  hev  ben  piled  up  like  cord-wood  in  yonder 
lane." 

Untequit  said  nothing  at  first,  but  Stephen,  anx 
ious  to  know  what  the  Indian  thought  of  the  novel 
spectacle,  said  to  him  pleasantly,  "What  think  you, 
Untequit?" 

By  this  time  they  had  reached  the  spot  where  the 
first  of  the  English  wounded  lay  in  their  scarlet 
coats  and  clumsy  trappings,  few  in  number,  and  al 
ready  under  the  care  of  the  surgeons  in  attendance. 
The  Indian  ran  his  eye  over  the  whole  space,  count 
ing  rapidly,  "One,  two,  three,  four,  ten,  thirteen— 
bah !  Untequit  has  forty  charges  at  his  side.  Alone 
he  could  have  killed  more  men  than  the  Spaniards 
have  slain  all  the  way  from  the  beach." 

"  'Tis  true  the  Spaniards  shoot  poorly,  and  the 
English  made  more  noise  than  they  did  execution, 
but  'twas  a  pretty  sight,  and  the  defile  was  well  car 
ried;  but  now  we  can  push  on,  for  here  are  houses, 
orchards,  farms  and  open  fields,  and  we  can  keep 
ahead  of  the  regulars  instead  of  letting  them  lead 


340  Cartagena 


For  the  first  time  in  the  expedition,  the  men  felt 
elated  and  sure  of  success  as  they  pushed  on,  and 
saw  close  at  hand  the  fortress  convent  of  La  Popa, 
the  estancia  of  La  Quinta  and  the  fortified  hilltop  of 
San  Lazaro,  and  beyond  these  the  crowded  battle 
ments  of  Cartagena  and  its  island  suburb  Xexemani 
or  Gethsemane. 

Better  had  it  been  if,  like  ravening  wolves,  frantic 
from  hunger  and  suffering,  at  the  heels  of  their 
hunted  prey,  the  soldiers  of  the  landing  detachment 
had  pursued  the  flying  Spaniards  and  captured 
them  under  the  guns  of  the  city,  or  pushed  on  to 
carry  San  Lazaro  before  the  foe  had  recovered  from 
his  defeat. 

But  the  traditions  of  the  army  and  the  time-hon 
ored  rules  of  Vauban,  and  other  famous  engineers, 
were  too  strongly  instilled  into  the  minds  of  the  gen 
erals  and  engineers  who  directed  their  operations, 
and  that  night  one-half  the  force  landed,  kept  the 
picket  line  scarce  half  a  mile  from  San  Lazaro,  while 
the  remainder,  except  a  small  party  thrown  into  La 
Popa,  lay  on  their  arms  under  the  sheds,  brick  kilns 
and  low  cottages  of  La  Quinta. 


Chapter  XXIV. 
On  Ticket  at  La  Quinta 

Hay  and  his  companions,  having  from  the  nature 
of  their  service  as  skirmishers,  been  more  widely 
dispersed  than  the  grenadiers  and  marines,  were  not 
of  those  soldiers  placed  upon  the  main  picket  guard, 
and  forced  after  the  excitement  and  exertion  of  the 
skirmish  and  pursuit,  to  expose  themselves  to  the 
discomforts  of  anxious  watching  and  broken  repose 
amid  the  dank  cocoa  orchards  and  jungle  in  front 
of  the  advanced  citadel  of  St.  Felipe  de  Barras, 
otherwise  known  as  San  Lazaro. 

With  the  usual  forethought  of  their  race,  the 
colonial  troops  landed  fully  equipped  with  all  the 
essentials  of  their  soldier's  outfit,  and,  in  spite  of 
some  hesitation  on  the  part  of  Colonel  Grant,  occu 
pied  at  night  the  farm  buildings  of  a  small  Hacienda, 
or  farm,  attached  to  the  large  plantation  known 
to  us  only  through  the  official  records  of  the  siege 
as  La  Quinta,  or  "The  Residence";  for  the  name  of 
the  Spanish  gentleman,  whose  country  house  has 
thus  been  handed  down  to  posterity,  by  some  curi 
ous  oversight  or  ignorance,  never  appears  in  the 
brief  annals  of  the  military  operations  carried  on 
before  the  city  itself. 

Woodside,  although  only  captain  by  brevet  and 
second  in  command  under  Captain  Goffe,  of  another 
Boston  company,  had,  through  his  English  birth  and 
the  friendship  of  Colonel  Blakeney,  sufficient  in- 


342  Cartagena 


terest  to  have  his  way  in  such  a  matter,  and,  having 
agreed  to  keep  up  a  strong  picket  guard  in  the  in 
terval  between  his  bivouac  and  the  fortified  hill  of 
La  Popa,  secured  thereby  comfortable  quarters  for 
his  men,  during  a  night  of  almost  interminable  dis 
comfort  to  the  majority  of  the  force. 

For  as  the  sun  went  down,  the  air  grew  heavy 
with  vapor,  and  the  sky  black  with  drifting  clouds, 
that  from  time  to  time  poured  dowrn  sheets  of  rain 
which  almost  instantly  flooded  the  ground,  and  com 
pletely  soaked  all  not  defended  by  more  substantial 
covering  than  a  soldier's  watchcoat  or  such  rotten 
tents  as  had  been  landed.  The  men  first  detailed  for 
duty  went  on  picket  at  six  o'clock,  and  the  officer 
who  posted  them  came  back  drenched  to  the  skin. 
At  nine,  Hay,  with  Untequit,  Jones,  Coggeshall  and 
Gibbs,  were  to  take,  writh  others,  their  turn  until 
midnight.  Fires  had  been  kindled  here  and  there  on 
the  floor  of  pounded  and  levelled  clay,  and  from  a 
supply  of  dry  twigs,  were  kept  sparsely  fed  to  supply 
the  want  of  candles  and  keep  warm  the  kettles  of  hot 
wrater,  with  which  the  officers  replenished  their  cans 
of  punch  and  toddy,  and  the  commissary  sergeants 
mixed  the  modicum  of  raw  spirit,  ordered  for  the 
behoof  of  the  unfortunates  whose  term  of  duty  had, 
expired. 

As  the  hour  approached  for  relieving  the  guard, 
Untequit  placed  on  the  fire  a  large  camp-kettle  in 
which  he  had  prepared  for  supper  a  kind  of  hotch 
potch  or  stew,  compounded  of  the  heterogeneous 
plunder  of  the  day's  reconnoisance.  Dried  beef  and 
fat  salt  pork,  fowls,  parrots,  ducks  and  rabbits,  plan- 


On    .Picket    at    La    Qninta  343 

tains,  cassava,  yams  and  service  biscuit,  with  a  lib 
eral  sprinkling  of  red  pepper  and  salt,  and  a  few 
leaves  of  the  papaw,  added  to  make  the  coarser 
meats  tender  and  digestible,  combined  in  this  Home 
ric  dish  to  form  a  repast  so  appetizing  that  at  every 
fire  the  dish  was  at  once  copied  with  greater  or  less 
success.  From  this  each  of  the  ci-dcvant  whaler's 
crew  took  a  liberal  lunch,  or  rather  supper,  more 
with  the  idea  of  gaining  strength  and  extra  warmth 
than  from  hunger,  and,  after  looking  carefully  to  the 
loading  and  priming  of  their  pieces,  went  out  into 
the  lowering  night. 

At  first,  the  change  was  so  great  from  the  light 
to  the  gloom  of  the  forest  that  the  men  were  utterly 
blinded,  but  following  the  drenched  subaltern,  who 
had  posted  the  first  watch,  they  stumbled  through 
the  forest  path  leading  to  La  Popa,  and  relieved  the 
shivering  and  weary  soldiers  whose  watch  for  the 
night  was  over,  and  who  gladly  followed  the  hapless 
lieutenant  of  the  guard  back  to  quarters. 

"  'Tis  a  hard  service,"  said  Hay  to  Untequit,  "but 
we  are  warm  and  well  fed,  and  have  dry  clothes  and 
fire  awaiting  us  at  the  close  of  our  watch.  To  my 
mind  there  is  little  fear  of  the  Dons  beating  up  our 
quarters  to-night,  but  if  the  men  keep  walking  back 
and  forth,  each  in  his  allotted  beat,  none  will  become 
chilled,  and  no  enemy  can  hope  to  pass  our  line  un- 
perceived.  I  will  pass  along  the  whole  line  and 
see  that  each  man  keeps  in  motion." 

"  'Tis  a  terrible  night,"  said  Untequit  under  his 
breath,  as  the  lightning  illumined  for  several  sec 
onds  the  line  of  pacing  sentinels  under  the  forest 


344  Tartu 


arches,  "and  in  the  days  of  my  fathers  could  only 
have  been  the  work  of  evil  magicians,  for  the  Great 
Spirit  does  not  thus  afflict  his  children.  Only  the 
Spirit  of  Evil  can  be  abroad  when  such  storms  rage, 
and  truly  I  had  rather  fight  a  dozen  men  than  face 
the  three  hours  before  us." 

As  he  spoke  the  trunk  of  a  tree  not  a  gunshot 
away  was  shivered  by  a  flash  of  lightning,  whose  fol 
io  wing  thunder-crash  almost  swallowed  up  the  noise 
of  its  fall;  and  so  full  of  electricity  was  the  air  that 
flames  of  lambent  blue  seemed  to  fly  around  the  bay 
onet-tips,  and  even  in  some  cases  to  form  a  kind  of 
halo  around  the  heads  of  the  soldiers,  whose  faces 
by  the  unnatural  light  seemed  livid  and  unearthly — 
all  the  more  that  most  were  more  or  less  unmanned 
by  their  unwonted  surroundings  and  experiences. 

"My  brother,"  said  Hay,  quietly,  "in  storm  as  well 
as  in  sunshine,  in  life  as  well  as  in  death,  the  hand 
of  our  Lord,  the  Creator,  holds  the  eternal  sceptre, 
which  is  extended  to  some  in  mercy,  and  ordains  to 
others  the  end  of  life.  Even  in  this  war  of  storm  and 
tempest  are  the  seeds  of  good,  though  to  some  of  us 
it  may  well  prove  fatal  under  our  present  condition. 
Nevertheless,  I  know  well  that  none  of  ours  will 
shrink  from  our  bounden  service,  as  brave  soldiers 
and  loyal  subjects  of  the  king." 

"Untequit  is  ready  to  answer  when  his  name  is 
called,  whether  by  your  voice  at  dawn,  my  brother, 
or  by  the  Great  Spirit  when  He  sees  fit  to  summon 
the  last  chieftain  of  the  race  of  lyanough.  Yet  I 
would  that  the  storm  were  over,  and  I  like  not  this 
light,  which  seems  to  make  the  faces  of  living  men 
like  the  set  features  of  the  dead." 


On    Picket    iit    La    Quintii  345 

The  gloom  became  impenetrable  in  the  intervals 
between  the  lightning,  save  here  and  there,  amid 
the  tree-tops,  where  a  bluish  glare  seemed  to  brood 
over  the  crest  of  some  gigantic  ceiba  or  lofty  ma 
hogany,  and  the  wind  came  in  terrible  gusts,  now 
sweeping  across  the  whole  expanse  of  the  swaying 
forest,  and  now  seeming  to  cut  through  the  wood  in 
capricious  whirlwinds  whose  centre  was  a  very 
besom  of  destruction. 

The  rain  fell  almost  incessantly,  if  that  could  be 
called  rain  which  fell  in  sheets  of  wrater  whose  very 
weight  wras  nearly  unbearable,  and  almost  instantly 
made  the  level  ground  a  pool  and  the  forest  path 
a  brook,  whose  depth  varied  from  the  ankle  to  the 
knee,  through  which  the  picket  guard  stumbled  and 
splashed,  drenched  to  the  skin,  and  almost  careless 
of  life,  so  depressing  was  their  situation  and  the 
fears  excited  by  the  natural  phenomena  around 
them. 

Hay  passed  on  from  man  to  man,  and  found  most 
of  them  similarly  affected,  but  responding  readily 
to  cheerful  words  and  appeals  to  their  personal 
courage  and  bravery,  and  at  last  reached  the  limits 
of  his  owrn  line,  and  spoke  to  a  gigantic  grenadier 
who  held  the  outermost  post  of  the  party  at  La 
Popa. 

"  'Tis  a  fearf u'  night,  your  honor/'  said  this  worth}7, 
a  recruit  from  some  highland  tribe,  "an'  'tis  naeth- 
ing  ordinar'  that  raises  sic  a  storm,  an'  gies  to  thae 
quick  the  corpse-lichts  that  a'  men  ken  belang  only 
to  those  dead  or  doomed  to  die.  'Tis  a  stout  carle, 
an'  a  brave,  yon  callant  wha  keeps  his  watch  neist 


346  Cartagena 


mine,  but  he?  will  never  mair  keep  vigil  in  forest  or 
on  wa',  for  he  is  fey,  indeed." 

"What  mean  you  by  'fey  indeed'  ?"  asked  Stephen, 
as  he  sheltered  himself  beneath  the  trunk  of  a  huge 
tree  beside  the  Highlander.  The  storm  lulled  for  a 
moment,  and,  as  the  branches  ceased  their  incessant 
swaying,  the  stillness  seemed  almost  painful  as  the 
clansman  answered,  strong  in  a  belief  whose  origin 
is  lost  in  the  night  of  time. 

"He  wha  has  nae  mony  days  or  hoors  o'  life  is 
called  fey  amang  the  people  o'  my  ain  land,  an'  ilka 
ane  kens  that  when  a  man's  shroud  faulds  him  frae 
head  to  heel,  death  is  nae  far  awa'.  Look  at  the  mon, 
yersel',  where  he  stan's  ayont  thae  muckle  cedar." 

A  strange  thrill  of  something  like  awe  and  fear 
filled  Stephen's  breast,  as  he  turned  and  saw 
Coggeshall,  who  held  the  post,  leaning  on  his  mus 
ket  and  peering  out  into  the  gloom  before  him,  every 
line  of  his  strongly  cut  features  and  the  very  curl  of 
his  grizzled  beard  and  moustache  fully  outlined 
against  the  lambent  flame.  Had  an  enemy  been 
near,  no  better  object  could  have  courted  deadly 
aim,  and  the  effect,  terrifying  enough  in  the  cases 
of  those  we  have  already  spoken  of,  was  doubly  im 
pressive  from  the  completeness  of  the  enveloping 
phosphorescence,  or  electrical  halo. 

With  an  effort,  Hay  retraced  his  steps  and  ad 
dressed  his  well  tried  comrade,  the  ex-privateers- 
man,  who  turned  at  his  voice  and  stepped  back  until 
his  massive  figure  rested  by  the  shoulders  against 
a  projecting  excrescence  of  the  cedar. 

"Good   night   ag'in,   sergeant,"   he  said  gravely. 


On  Ticket  at  La  Quinta  347 

"Your  watch  will  soon  be  over,  I  take  it,  an'  you'll 
not  be  sorry  to  get  under  cover  ag'in.  'Tis  terrible 
weather  though  fer  our  lads,  an'  will  fill  many  a 
fresh  grave  before  forty-eight  hours  from  now." 

"I  hope  not,"  said  Hay,  lightly.  "Surely  good  food, 
dry  clothes  and  a  glass  of  hot  Jamaica  will  set  us  all 
right  again,  wrhen  once  we  are  under  cover." 

"Nothin'  else  can  help  the  men  so  well,  sergeant, 
an'  I  would  thet  all  the  officers  cared  for  our  poor 
boys,  es  our  officers  hev  done.  Keep  on,  es  you 
hev  begun,  sergeant,  an'  if  merit  will  do  anythin' 
fer  a  colonist,  you  will  soon  carry  the  King's  com 
mission,  ef  you  choose  to  bear  it.  I  would  hev  liked 
to  live  to  see  it,  but  I  fear  me  thet  Jack  Coggeshall 
hes  stood  his  last  watch  on  ship  or  shore." 

"Nonsense,  man,"  said  Hay  cheerily,  although 
a,t  heart,  the  dread  of  some  approaching  tragedy 
seemed  to  chill  the  life  current  at  its  very  source, 
"what  fear  have  you  who  have  passed  through 
so  many  dangers,  and  seen  so  many  storms,  worse 
even  than  this." 

"Worse  then  this,"  echoed  his  companion  with 
proud  disdain,  "I  should  think  so  indeed,  mate.  He 
who  hes  faced  a  norther  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  a  ty 
phoon  in  the  China  Sea,  an'  a  white  squall  in  the 
Gulf  stream,  need  not  tremble  like  a  woman  at  a  bit 
of  foul  weather,  in  the  first  of  the  rainy  season." 

"Surely  you  do  not  fear  the  fever,  or  the  chances 
of  war,  for  I  know  you  have  passed  through  many 
a  scene  of  sickness  and  battle." 

"True,  sergeant,  'tis  only  too  true.  I  was  the  only 
one  of  the  crew  of  the  Black  Snake  letter  o'  marque 


348  Cartagena 


left  alive  six  years  agone  in  Kingston  harbor,  when 
we  refitted  after  a  fight  with  a  Spanish  guarda  costa, 
thet  sent  him  to  the  bottom,  an'  kept  us  pumping 
at  the  rate  of  a  thousand  strokes  an  hour,  until  we 
got  her  careened  at  Port  Royal.  But  the  pitcher 
goes  to  the  well  once  too  often  with  us  all,  an'  some 
how  I  think  thet  my  own  cruise  is  nearly  up.' 

"  'Tis  strange,  too,  comrade,"  said  the  rover  hur 
riedly  as  if  fearful  of  interruption,  "but  since  this 
'weather  breeder,'  es  we  call  'em  at  sea,  settled  down 
among  us  here  on  watch,  I  got  to  thinkin'  of  old 
times,  es  I  heven't  thought  for  years.  I  hed  no 
mother,  thet  I  can  remember;  father  was  at  sea  all 
his  life,  except  short  visits  home,  an'  a  sister  of  his 
took  care  of  the  house,  an'  saw  to  our  food  an'  cloth- 
in'.  I  hed  a  little  sister,  a  perfect  little  angel,  sir,  an' 
so  pretty  thet  every  one  admired  an'  petted  her; 
an'  she  was  es  loving  es  pretty,  an'  the  only  one  I 
had  to  love.  She  died  young,  wasted  away  sir,  like 
a  withered  lily,  an'  left  me  with  her  last  kiss,  an' 
her  last  words  of  love  alone  on  earth.  She  said, 
'Come  brother,'  an'  pointed  to  somethin'  or  some 
body  an'  smiled.  I  shall  never  forget  thet  smile, 
an',"  lowering  his  voice,  "I  hev  seen  an'  heard  her 
again  tonight. 

"I'm  not  frightened  or  out  of  my  senses,  sir,"  said 
Coggeshall,  in  calm,  deep  tones,  "an'  I  don't  mean  to 
say  thet  she's  in  your  sight  or  even  in  mine,  when  I 
sweep  the  woods,  es  is  my  duty.  When  I  look,  es 
the  lightning  flashes,  I  see  every  liana,  every  sweep 
of  the  trunks  and  branches,  an'  ef  a  Spaniard 
showed  an  inch  of  scrape  or  sombrero  you  could  trust 


On   Picket   at    La   Quinta  349 

me  to  put  a  bullet  in  it,  es  well  es  in  our  scoutin' 
days  just  past.  But  in  the  darkness  I  see  her  lovin' 
little  face,  es  when  I  knelt  cryin'  beside  her  little 
bed,  an'  hear  her  sayin'  'Come,  brother!  Gome!' 
jest  es  well  an'  es  plainly  es  when  death  parted 
us  forever." 

"Not  forever,  I  hope;  not  forever,"  cried  Stephen, 
in  spite  of  himself,  impressed  by  the  strange  calm 
ness  and  conviction  of  his  follower.  -  "Surely  life  has 
no  such  charms  for  you,  that  the  hope  of  rejoining 
her  in  a  better  life  would  not  outweigh  all  other 
worldly  hopes  and  wishes." 

"One  would  think  so,  sir,  yet  young  blood  is  hot 
an'  old  blood  often  wicked,  an'  God  knows  I  am  no 
saint,  fit  to  walk  beside  her  in  white  where  they 
say  all  are  pure. ,  Do  you  think  they  will  let  me  come 
when  she  calls  me?" 

"  Whosoever  will  let  him  come,'  are  the  words  of 
the  holy  Bible,  and  I  hold  that  none  will  be  shut  out 
who  truly  repent  of  all  their  sins  and  believe  in  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  died  for  all  repenting  sin 
ners.  I  have  little  belief  in  warnings,  or  such  visions 
as  you  speak  of,  and  I  advise  you  to  do  well  your  duty, 
leaving  to  God  the  disposal  of  life  and  death ;  but  the 
dear  memory  of  your  sister  should  lead  you  to  Him, 
through  whom  only  we  may  hope  for  love  and  joy 
everlasting." 

Coggeshall  groped  in  the  darkness  for  his  com 
rade's  hand,  and  wrung  it  as  men  do  when  words 
fail  to  express  the  strong  emotions  of  a  powerful 
organization,  and  then  spoke  as  if  relieved  by  the 
confession  of  his  thoughts.  "Well,  the  storm  is 


350  Cartagena 


comin'  on  ag'in,  I  think,  an'  perhaps  as  heavily  es 
before.  How  shall  I  know  when  our  watch  is  over?" 

"I  shall  come  back  with  your  relief,  I  suppose.  Be 
of  good  cheer  and  trust  yourself  in  Christ's  mercy, 
and  we  may  both  yet  talk  together  of  this  night's 
vigil,  and  our  hope  of  ending  noble  lives  in  the  sure 
expectation  of  the  immortality  of  God  and  his 
saints." 

"Good  night,  sir;  I  shall  remember."  And  as  Ste 
phen  moved  away  he  saw  that  the  mysterious  light 
had  left  the  person  of  his  comrade,  and  seemed  to  be 
broken  and  passing  to  the  tree  against  wrhich  he 
leant. 

A  fresh  shower  was  now  passing  over,  and  when, 
after  much  labor  and  suffering,  he  had  attained  the 
left  of  the  line,  he  found  the  relief  already  near  at 
hand  and  ready  to  replace  his  wet  and  weary  sen 
tinels. 

One  by  one  they  relieved  the  guards  until  only  a 
single  man  remained  between  the  party  and  the 
right  of  the  cordon,  and  Stephen,  in  the  frequent 
lightning  flashes,  looked  with  some  concern  for  his 
former  comrade.  At  last  he  saw  him  standing  as  he 
had  left  him,  leaning  against  the  cedar,  with  his  face 
resting  on  his  hands,  crossed  upon  the  muzzle  of  his 
weapon,  and  then  all  was  darkness. 

The  intervening  picket  had  challenged;  Hay  gave 
the  countersign  over  the  presented  bayonet,  and  had 
whispered  to  the  relieving  ranger  to  step  forward 
into  his  place;  when  a  sheet  of  fire  seemed  to  fill  the 
air,  a  deafening  crash  rolled  all  around  the  party, 
and  for  some  moments  all  was  obscurity  to  Stephen 
and  his  companions. 


On   iMcket    at    La    Qtiinta  351 

When  he  recovered  himself,  Hay  felt  the  rain  fall 
ing  in  torrents  upon  his  face  and  staggered  to  his 
feet,  assisted  by  his  men,  most  of  whom  had  felt  the 
shock  even  more  than  himself,  and  calling  for  the 
last  of  the  relief,  he  went  forward  toward  the  post, 
where  Coggeshall,  by  the  light  of  succeeding  flashes, 
was  still  to  be  seen  retaining  his  observant  attitude, 
as  if  utterly  unmindful  of  the  war  and  wreck  of 
weather. 

"He's  a 'cool  hand,"  said  Jones  admiringly.  "Noth- 
in'  moves  him  in  storm  or  battle,  I  reckon." 

"He  might  hev'  come  to  see  ef  we  were  all  killed 
jest  now,"  grumbled  Gibbs,  whose  temper  was  not 
improved  by  his  late  exposure. 

"He  had  no  right  to  leave  his  post,"  said  Hay 
apologetically;  "but  he  ought  to  challenge  ere  now," 
and  he  cleared  his  throat  significantly,  as  a  hint  to 
the  careless  or  absorbed  sentinel. 

A  second  flash  showed  them  the  figure  of  Cogges 
hall  still  in  the  same  position,  but  a  terrible  thought 
entered  the  mind  of  Stephen,  and  he  sprang  forward 
and  laid  his  hand  on  the  shoulder  of  the  privateers- 
man.  As  he  did  so  a  long  undulating  flash  showed 
him  the  face  of  his  comrade  lit  up  with  a  pleasant 
smile,  but  it  was  the  smile  of  a  lifeless  face,  and  the 
slight  impetus  of  his  touch  sent  the  massive  form 
with  its  heavy  accoutrements  and  shattered  weap 
ons  to  the  ground.  He  had  been  slain  by  the  same 
levin-bolt  which  had  prostrated  his  comrades. 

Awestruck  and  sad  at  heart,  they  bore  the  dead 
on  their  crossed  muskets  up  to  the  bivouac,  and  es 
sayed  all  that  their  rude  skill  could  do,  to  bring  life 


352  Cartagena 


back  to  the  stalwart  frame  and  familiar  face  of  their 
well-tried  comrade,  but  though  Hay  was  the  last  to 
give  up  trying,  at  heart  he  had  no  hope  for  brave 
Jack  Coggeshall. 

No  hope  say  we?  He  had  truly  no  hope  for  this 
life,  neither  did  his  Puritan  teaching  encourage  the 
belief,  that  even  the  strange  premonition  of  coming 
death,  or  the  fancied  summons  of  one  long  dead, 
however  pure  of  heart,  should  avail  to  turn  to  true 
repentance  a  man  of  such  ungodly  life  and  unre 
strained  passions  as  his  whilom  comrade.  But  de 
spite  all  his  stern  belief  as  he  saw,  for  the  last  time, 
the  calm,  serene  face  of  the  dead  soldier,  ere  the 
shrouding  blanket  and  flowrery  vines  hid  it  forever 
from  mortal  view,  he  turned  away  in  hope  despite 
of  himself,  that  in  the  great  and  vague  hereafter  he 
should  yet  meet  one  so  brave  and  true,  so  loving  and 
tender-hearted,  so  calm  and  fearless  at  the  last  of 
life's  long  battle,  as  he  who  died  so  weirdly,  yet  so 
peacefully,  'neath  the  lightning  riven  cedars  that 
fringe  the  base  of  the  fortress  height  of  Nuestra 
Senora  de  la  Popa. 


Chapter    XXV. 
The  Hospital  of  Saint  Lazarus 

The  succeeding  day  was  as  hot  and  sultry  as  the 
night  had  been  tempestuous,  but  the  work  of  en 
camping  the  army  was  hurried  on  as  fast  as  possible 
under  the  supervision  of  the  general,  and  of  his  en 
gineers,  now  sadly  reduced  in  numbers  and  morale  by 
their  losses  from  sickness  and  the  casualties  at  Boca 
Chica. 

The  ground  chosen  was  covered  with  vegetation, 
requiring  the  use  of  the  mattock  and  axe  to  clear  it, 
and  the  officer  placed  in  charge  of  this  special  duty, 
a  veteran  major  of  marines,  spared  neither  his  own 
men  nor  the  detail  of  colonists,  who  from  their  skill 
in  the  use  of  the  axe  were,  as  we  have  seen,  doomed 
with  the  Jamaica  negroes  to  the  drudgery  of  the 
expedition.  Even  the  men  on  picket  the  night  before 
were  compelled  to  take  part  in  this  labor,  exposed  to 
the  full  heat  of  the  cloudless  sun,  and  Hay  and  his 
temperate  companions,  who,  divested  of  the  greater 
part  of  their  clothing,  worked  with  the  steady  but 
moderate  industry  which  the  hot  summers  of  New 
England  had  taught  them  was  best  adapted  to  se 
cure  the  best  results,  suffered  as  they  never  had  be 
fore  in  the  deadliest  heats  of  a  July  noon  tide. 

Even  the  negroes,  habituated  to  endure  the  full 
rays  of  a  tropical  sun,  and  almost  without  clothing 
save  of  the  thinnest  and  scantiest  kind,  complained 
of  the  heat,  and  evidently  suffered  from  weakness 


354  Cartagena 


produced  by  the  diffuse  and  immoderate  perspira 
tion,  which  stood  in  heavy  beads  upon  their  jetty 
bodies.  The  whips  of  their  officers,  for  the  most 
part  overseers  of  Jamaican  plantations,  and  at  the 
best  slavedrivers  in  uniform,  were  used  freely,  but 
seemed  to  have  lost  their  usual  efficacy,  and  the  cor 
pulent  major,  as  he  lay  in  his  hammock  under  the 
grateful  shade  of  a  clump  of  tamarinds,  smoking 
and  sipping  cool  drinks  prepared  by  his  negro  body 
servant,  stormed  and  swore  as  he  saw  how  slowly 
the  wrork  progressed,  calling  first  to  one  brutal  ty 
rant  and  then  to  another  to  "hurry  up  the  lazy 
hounds." 

But  the  unfortunate  marines,  although  somewhat 
favored  by  their  commanding  officer  in  choice  of 
shelter  and  employment  in  the  lighter  labors  of  the 
work  required,  drooped  like  delicate  flowers  de 
prived  of  the  shade  which  alone  enables  them  to 
bear  the  heat  of  the  sun.  Clad  in  heavy  and  incon 
venient  uniforms ;  with  their  breathing  impeded  by 
their  clumsy  stocks  which  they  dared  not  lay  aside; 
and  being  for  the  most  part  men  of  gross  size  and 
habits  of  life,  they  soon  began  to  faint  and  fall  vic 
tims  to  the  fatal  coup  de  soldi  A  sergeant,  who  had 
used  his  cane  unsparingly  on  his  own  men  and  some 
of  the  hapless  negroes,  was  one  of  the  first  victims, 
and  as  if  this  first  case  was  but  the  signal  for  a  gen 
eral  yielding  of  overtaxed  human  nature,  several 
marines  and  at  least  one  American  dropped  as  if 
cut  down  by  a  fatal  f usilade  from  the  forest. 

With  a  torrent  of  oaths  the  huge  major  caught  up 
his  cane,  and,  hurrying  to  the  spot,  ordered  the  re- 


The  Hospital  of  Saint  Lazarus  355 

maining  marines  to  convey  the  dead  and  dying  to 
the  hospital,  and  excused  them  from  farther  duty 
for  the  day;  and,  turning  to  the  Jamaican  officers, 
ordered  them  to  hasten  forward  the  clearing  of  the 
ground. 

A  glance  of  his  eye  toward  the  Americans  indi 
cated  a  similar  order,  and  he  was  about  to  return  to 
his  hammock  and  post  of  observation,  when  he  saw 
among  the  colonists  a  movement,  which  at  once  ar 
rested  his  attention  and  footsteps. 

Among  those  under  the  immediate  oversight  of 
Sergeant  Hay  was  a  youth  not  yet  grown  to  man's 
estate, — the  runaway  apprentice  of  a  Boston  rope- 
maker,  who  had  quitted  the  long,  low  sheds  at  the 
foot  of  the  Common,  and  the  retrograde  walk  pe 
culiar  to  his  avocation,  for  the  freer  tread  but  more 
trying  uncertainties  of  a  soldier's  life.  He  had 
worked  for  a  time  manfully,  but  just  then  showed 
unmistakable  signs  of  distress;  and  Stephen  at  last 
noticed  that  he  no  longer  was  bathed  in  perspira 
tion,  and  ordered  him  to  retire  under  the  shade  of  a 
'clump  of  cocoas  not  far  distant. 

But  as  he  shouldered  his  mattock  and  turned  to 
go,  the  major  interposed  his  authority,  with  the 
brutal  coarseness  peculiar  to  his  profession  at  that 
day,  and  especially  noticeable  in  such  as,  like  him 
self,  had  served  in  the  "Low  Countries." 

"—  -!  -!  -!"  No  language 

which  we  feel  warranted  in  addressing  to  modern 
ears  will  represent  the  mingled  blasphemy  and  ob 
scenity  heaped  upon  the  devoted  head  of  the  kind- 
hearted  sergeant,  and  the  gigantic  form  of  the  vol- 


356  Cartagena 


unteer  became  convulsed  with  rage,  as  he  drew  him 
self  up  in  conscious  strength  and  rectitude,  and  fixed 
his  eyes  sternly  on  the  blazing  orbs  of  the  maddened 
tyrant. 

"What  do  you  mean,  you  New  England  hound? 
How  dare  you  look  at  me,  you  psalm-singing  Puri 
tan?  Drag  back  yonder  sneaking,  lazy  cur  of  a 
countryman  of  yours  to  his  duty,  or  I'll  bring  both 
you  and  him  to  the  halberds,  and  score  your  backs 
till  the  blood  runs  down  to  your  heels." 

With  a  mighty  effort,  and  less  from  fear  for  him 
self  than  from  dread  of  the  consequences  to  his  com 
rades,  whose  indignation  showed  itself  but  too  plain 
ly  in  their  countenances,  Stephen,  with  a  success 
which  surprised  himself,  kept  back  the  torrent  of  his 
inward  wrath,  and  answered  civilly  enough  the  out 
rageous  questioning  of  his  superior  officer. 

"The  man  is  in  danger  of  sunstroke,  sir,  and  I 
told  him  to  get  under  cover.  I  trust,  sir, — " 

"Silence,  sir!  Send  the  man  back  to  his  duty. 
How  dare  you  bandy  words  with  me.  Damme,  sir, 
but  I'll  put  you  both  under  arrest,  if  you  don't  obey 
at  once." 

"I  am  ready,  sir,"  said  Stephen  firmly.  "The  man 
is  in  imminent  danger,  for  I  know  the  symptoms, 
and  I  will  not  be  a  party  to  his  murder." 

With  a  torrent  of  frightful  imprecations,  his  huge 
features  suffused  with  an  excess  of  blood,  and  his 
stick  raised  for  an  assault  upon  the  person  of  the 
contumacious  sergeant  himself,  the  major  of  ma 
rines  rushed  toward  the  immovable  colonist. 

Stephen  had  folded  his  arms  and  awaited  his  ad- 


The  Hospital  of  Saint  La/arus  :>r>7 

versary  fearlessly,  but  with  the  expectation  of  seri 
ous  if  not  fatal  injury;  for  he  had  already  experi 
enced  from  frequent  observation,  the  boundless 
cruelty  and  tyranny  of  many  of  the  officers  of  the 
land  and  sea  service  of  those  days.  His  comrades 
were  less  prudent,  and  several  were  about  to  inter 
fere,  while  Untequit  laid  his  hand  on  the  hilt  of  his 
knife,  and  Gibbs  even  caught  up  his  musket,  glaring 
sideways  at  the  major,  although  his  eyes  seemed  for 
the  most;  part  to  be  searching  the  woods  toward 
the  outposts  of  San  Lazaro. 

But  a  better  ally  was  at  hand.  A  strong  and 
active  form  came  leaping  from  the  edge  of  the 
woods,  and,  ere  the  major  could  strike,  John  Wood- 
side,  arrayed  in  his  new  captain's  uniform,  con 
fronted  the  astonished  major. 

"Out  of  my  way,  youngster,  or  I'll  tear  your  frip 
pery  from  your  back  and  break  your  toasting  iron 
across  my  knee.  Out  of  my  way,  until  I  brain  that 
insolent  hound  who  dares  to  dispute  the  orders  of  a 
major  of  His  Majesty's  marines." 

"It  takes  a  man,  Major  Whyte,  to  do  what  you 
threaten,"  answered  Woodside  haughtily,  "and  I 
fear  neither  your  sword  nor  your  malice.  I  know 
why  you  were  commissioned,  and  what  is  more  to 
the  point,  that  the  service  is  no  longer  the  secret 
which  you  are  paid  to  keep.  Now,  sir,  if  you  please 
to  arrest  my  men,  well  and  good;  but  they  enlisted 
as  gentlemen  volunteers,  and  no  man  shall  strike 
them  but  over  my  dead  body." 

The  bully  glanced  upon  his  audacious  inferior, 
and  for  a  moment  it  seemed  as  if,  even  in  defiance 


358  Cartagena 


of  all  considerations,  lie  would  visit  on  Ms  brother 
officer  the  wrath  which  almost  threatened  to  end  his 
own  existence;  so  purple  had  become  his  inflamed 
visage  with  the  effect  of  the  heat  and  his  own  un 
bridled  passions.  But  Stephen  heard  a  groan  be 
hind  him,  and  turned  hastily;  the  boy,  overcome 
by  fear  and  his  previous  exposure,  was  insensible. 

Hay  took  the  senseless  form  in  his  arms,  and 
started  for  the  site  of  the  field  hospital,  while 
Woodside,  at  the  first  angry  movement  of  the 
major,  drew  his  rapier  from  its  sheath. 

"If  you  wear  a  sword  for  any  purpose  but  for 
show,  Major  Whyte,"  said  he,  scornfully,  "you  will 
waive  your  rank  and  give  me  a  meeting.  If  not,  as 
soon  as  we  ever  return  to  a  spot  where  courage, 
honor  and  humanity  are  recognized  as  the  attributes 
of  a  gentleman,  I  will  post  you  as  a  coward,  a  des 
pot  and  a  murderer."  And  as  he  spoke,  he  pointed 
to  the  limp  and  lifeless  burden  in  Hay's  giant  grasp. 

With  a  half -choked  oath  and  an  inaudible  threat, 
lost  in  the  utter  ecstasy  of  rage,  the  major  turned, 
and  staggered  rather  than  walked  to  his  hammock, 
throwing  himself  into  it  as  if  seized  with  a  kind  of 
dizziness,  while  Woodside,  turning  to  his  men,  di 
rected  them  to  resume  their  labors;  and  later,  the 
commander-in-chief  himself  rode  up,  and  entered 
into  conversation  with  the  major,  who  seemed  to 
have  somewhat  recovered  from  the  effects  of  his 
passion,  showed  the  visitors  the  progress  made,  and 
even  pointed  out  that  part  of  the  field  cleared  by  the 
Americans  as  most  suitable  for  the  tents  of  the  en 
gineers. 


The  Hospital  of  Saint  Lazarus  359 

Hay,  who  had  returned  to  his  men,  suddenly  saw, 
from  the  expression  of  Untequit's  face,  that  a 
stranger  was  approaching;  and  across  an  open  sa 
vannah  a  well-dressed  Spaniard  suddenly  ap 
proached  the  picket  line,  and,  after  a  parley  with 
the  guard,  was  blindfolded,  and  led  by  an  officer  and 
a  file  of  men  into  the  presence  of  the  Commander-in- 
chief. 

On  removing  his  bandages  a  mask  was  seen  to 
cover  his  features,  which,  in  fair  English  he  begged 
might  not  be  removed. 

"  'Tis  preposterous,"  said  General  Wentworth, 
sternly.  "Who  ever  heard  of  a  man  entering  the 
lines  of  an  hostile  army,  and  having  such  a  request 
regarded?" 

"The  man's  richt,"  said  McPherson,  the  guide  of 
the  expedition,  and  in  this  capacity  a  captain  on  the 
general's  staff.  "Gie  a  look  at  his  han's,  an'  ye'll  see 
why  he  cares  na'  to  show  his  face ;  for  he  well  knows 
that  no  human  eye  will  care  to  look  again  upon  the 
wark  o'  the  plague  o'  leprosy." 

"You  say  well,  McPherson,"  said  the  stranger  in 
a  clear,  bold  voice,  while  those  around  him  drew 
back  in  instinctive  horror,  "and  though  you  have 
had  many  a  brave  carouse  beneath  my  roof,  you 
would  scarcely  care  to  look  again  on  the  features 
of  Don  Carlos  D'Olivera.  But  you  may  say  to  these 
gentlemen  that  they  have  little  cause  of  fear,  and  tell 
them  that  I  come  as  a  peaceful  envoy  from  the  un 
happy  inmates  of  the  hospital  of  San  Lazaro." 

"I'm  unco  sorry  to  meet  ye  thus,"  said  McPherson, 
warmly,  "an'  gin  an  arm  o'  me  wad  mak  ye  whole  I'd 


360  Cartagena 


gie  it  wf  a'  my  saul.  But,  indeed,  your  Excellency 
may  trust  him,"  he  continued,  turning  eagerly  to 
Wentworth.  "There  was  never  man  or  woman  that 
tint  aught,  by  trusting  to  the  lealty  o'  Don  Carlos." 

"Thank  you,  my  old  friend,"  said  the  masked  man, 
pleasantly.  "And  to  your  Excellency  I  have  only  to 
say,  that  beyond  that  great  walled  compound  to  the 
left,  and  below  the  fortified  rock  of  San  Lazaro  live 
hundreds  of  unfortunates,  who,  even  in  stress  of 
war,  cannot  fly  to  the  walled  city,  or  be  allowed  to 
avoid  its  terrors  by  seeking  the  inland  villages, 
where  so  many  of  the  rich  and  fortunate  have  fled 
before  your  arms. 

"I  have  known  something  of  war,  and  ere  long 
your  artillery  must  reduce  San  Lazaro.  My  errand  is 
to  ask  you  to  spare  the  helpless,  and  be  merciful  to 
those  whom  God  has  afflicted,  for  none  will  make 
our  plague-stricken  community  a  lodgment  for 
troops,  or  depend  on  our  walls  for  defence,  at  the 
risk  of  being  doomed  to  an  endless  captivity  and  a 
horrible  death." 

"There,  indeed,  seems  to  be  no  necessity  of  open 
ing  fire  on  your  hospital,  if,  in  truth,  all  is  as  you 
say.  But  how  may  we  know  that  these  things  are 
so?  There  has  been  plenty  of  time,  since  McPher- 
son  dwelt  among  you,  to  turn  into  a  fortified  camp 
even  such  a  pest  house  as  he  has  described  San  Laz 
aro  to  be." 

"I  have  permission  from  Don  Sebastian  de  Eslava 
and  the  admiral,  Don  Bias,  to  take  within,  or  rather 
upon  our  walls,  anyone  who  will  undertake  to  visit 
our  abode  of  wretchedness.  I  may  say  that  there  is 


The  Hospital  of  Saint  La/arus  361 

little  or  no  fear  of  contagion  from  a  single  visit, 
for  it  would  seem  that  only  those  born  or  long  resi 
dent  among  us,  fall  under  so  terrible  an  affliction. 
Still,  I  would  ask  no  man  to  lightly  run  the  hazard 
of  the  terrible  fate  which  awaits  me  and  my  com 
panions." 

There  were  brave  men  there  who  had  faced  danger 
and  death  freely  in  many  forms,  but  none  dared  to 
essay  the  adventure,  and  a  shade  of  sadness  was  in 
the  envoy's  tone  as  he  said,  "I  blame  you  not,  gen 
tlemen;  but  if  none  will  undertake  the  duty  from 
chivalry  and  the  love  of  God,  have  you  none  of 
meaner  rank,  whom  you  can  trust,  wTho  will  essay  the 
peril  for  gold?  I  will  give  an  hundred  guineas  to 
any  man,  wrho  will  go  as  your  Excellency's  mes 
senger." 

"There's  a  tall  New  Englander  yonder,"  said 
Whyte  quietly,  pointing  to  Stephen  at  his  work, 
"who  seems  to  be  given  to  merciful  work  and  hos 
pital  service,  who  would  doubtless  undertake  the 
task,  if  your  Excellency  pleases.  He  is  under  the 
command  of  Lieutenant — I  beg  pardon — Captain 
Woodside,  who  can  best  advise  as  to  his  trustiness 
in  so  delicate  a  matter." 

"Summon  him,"  said  Wentworth  briefly  to  an  aid, 
who  hastily  brought  before  the  general  the  tall  New 
Englander  and  his  officer. 

"This  man  in  the  mask,"  said  Wentworth,  gruffly, 
"represents  that  he  is  the  chief  in  authority  among 
a  certain  community  of  lepers,  established  just  this 
side  of  yonder  fort  of  San  Lazaro,  and  beseeches  us 
to  spare  them  in  the  coming  siege  and  bombard- 


3(52  Cartagena 


nient.  He  has  asked  us  to  send  a  messenger,  to  test 
the  truth  of  his  statement.  Will  you  volunteer  for 
such  service?" 

In  a  moment  Hay's  quick  glance  had  taken  in  both 
the  noble  proportions  of  the  speaker  and  the  terrible 
ravages  of  the  dread  disease,  which  even  the  cunning 
arts  employed  could  not  wholly  conceal  from  so 
keen  a  surveillance.  The  bloodshot  eyes  burning 
with  fever,  the  bluish  lips  which  showed  at  the 
aperture  of  the  painted  mask,  the  fingers  contracted 
and  swollen  at  their  rotting  joints  under  the  costly 
glove,  and  sundry  smooth  whitish  swellings  on  wrist 
and  neck,  told  but  too  plainly  of  the  terrible 
progress  made  by  the  loathsome  disease;  and  Hay, 
though  no  coxcomb,  was  proud  of  his  manly  strength 
and  beauty,  prizing  them  as  the  greatest  earthly  gift 
bestowed  upon  him  by  his  Creator. 

For  a  moment  he  shrank  from  the  risk,  and  his 
color  came  and  wrent  between  fear  and  decision;  but 
at  last  he  said,  calmly: 

"I  will  go,  if  it  please  your  Excellency." 

"You  shall  be  well  repaid,  young  man,"  said  the 
Spaniard,  warmly ;  but  Wentworth  went  on  address 
ing  himself  to  Woodside: 

"I  have  heard  enough  of  you,  sir,  to  know  that  in 
the  fleet,  you  have  been  trusted  in  delicate  missions 
of  some  importance.  Is  this  man  loyal  and  intelli 
gent?" 

"He  is,  your  Excellency,  as  worthy  of  trust  as  I 
am,  myself,  at  least."  . 

"No  man  can  say  more  for  another  than  that," 
said  Wentworth,  with  a  grim  smile.  "You  can  go  at 


The  Hospital  of  Saint  Lazarus  3G3 

once,"  he  said,  turning  to  Stephen,  "only  remember 
to  be  loyal  to  the  king,  and  to  keep  faith  with  the 
enemy  who  trusts  you  in  the  name  of  humanity." 

At  a  signal  from  his  guide,  Stephen,  keeping  at  a 
distance  of  some  ten  paces,  was  escorted  through  the 
lines  of  the  grand  guard  and  picket,  and  crossing  a 
belt  of  low  shrubbery  saw  before  them  on  one  hand 
the  castellated  hill,  and  on  the  other  the  long,  mas 
sive  wall,  which,  forming  two  sides  of  a  rectangle, 
enclosed  with  the  shores  of  Cartagena  harbor,  the 
village  called  the  Hospital  of  St.  Lazarus. 

"You  have  much  to  see  that  is  appalling  and  dis 
gusting  for  our  sakes,"  said  his  guide,  speaking  with 
some  emotion,  "and  I  would  have  you  first  partake 
of  such  hospitality  as  I  can  still  offer.  Yonder,"  he 
continued,  pointing  to  a  small  bujio  or  cottage,  sur 
rounded  by  shrubbery,  "lives  my  dear  daughter, 
who  refuses  to  leave  me  to  despair  although  years 
have  passed  since  she  has  seen  my  face,  or  even 
spoken  to  me  within  the  bounds  of  the  fence  sur 
rounding  her  dwelling;  but  her  heart,  God  bless  her, 
is  ever  open  to  her  unfortunate  but  loving  father." 

As  he  spoke,  a  beautiful  and  queenly  woman 
glided  out  upon  the  veranda  of  the  low,  snow-white 
cottage,  and  in  tones  strongly  blending  filial  love 
and  queenly  grace,  gave  affectionate  greeting  to 
Hay's  companion.  A  large  but  perfect  form,  regular 
features,  a  brunette  complexion,  suffused  with  the 
crimson  blood  of  perfect  h'ealth,  combined  with  a 
rich  and  almost  barbaric  splendor  of  apparel, 
formed  such  an  incarnation  of  tropical  beauty  as 
Stephen  had  never  even  dreamed  of  before. 


Cartagena 


No  trace  of  aversion  or  even  of  that  open  pity, 
which  is  scarcely  less  trying,  to  those  who  retain 
amid  sore  affliction  their  high  sense  of  pride  and 
self-respect,  was  visible  in  the  manner  or  speech  of 
the  daughter  of  the  leper. 

"You  are  welcome,  my  father,"  she  cried  joyously 
in  Spanish,  "and  I  see  you  are  successful.  Your 
countrymen,  the  English  sefiores,  have  not  been  less 
noble  than  you  hoped." 

"Ah!  You  understand  Spanish,"  said  Olivarez 
quickly,  as  he  saw  Stephen's  cheek  flush  and  his  eye 
brighten  at  the  kind  words  of  the  daughter.  "You 
are,  then,  no  common  soldier  of  the  marines,  and, 
indeed,  now  that  I  look,  your  facings  are  not  those 
of  that  branch  of  the  service." 

"I  am  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay,  and  a  gentleman 
volunteer  in  the  American  brigade,  which  joined 
the  fleet  at  Jamaica.  I  know  a  little  Spanish,  hav 
ing  cruised  against  your  people  in  an  armed  sloop 
of  the  Khode  Island  colony,  and  been  for  a  time  a 
prisoner  among  your  countrymen,  or  rather  I  mean 
the  Spaniards." 

"Do  you  not  class  me  with  the  Spaniards,"  asked 
Olivarez  in  a  lower  tone  and  with  some  surprise. 

"I  have  no  right  to  question  your  nationality,"  re 
plied  Stephen,  coolly,  "but  if  I  am  right  in  my  con 
jectures,  you  will  recognize  this  ring."  And  draw 
ing  from  his  breast  pocket  a  small  packet,  he  pro 
duced  the  jewel  given  to  him  by  John  HewTson,  and, 
placing  it  on  the  point  of  his  short  sergeant's  sword, 
conveyed  it  to  the  hands  of  his  guide. 

With  much  emotion  the  unhappy  man  seized  the 


The  Hospital  of  Saint  Lazarus  365 

ring  and  eagerly  inspected  it,  viewing  it  carefully, 
and  finally  touched  a  spring,  disclosing  a  minute 
ivory  portrait  of  a  singularly  handsome  youth,  in  the 
first  flush  of  manhood. 

"  'Tis  my  own  picture,"  he  said  in  a  voice  which, 
for  the  first  time,  faltered  with  emotion.  "Of  whom 
had  you  this  token,  and  when  ?" 

"Of  a  man,  resident  among  us,  who  calls  himself 
John  Hewson,  and  who  sent  it  by  my  hands,  that, 
if  Providence  gave  yonder  city  into  our  power,  his 
brother  there  residing  might  have,  through  me,  gold 
and  aid  to  come  to  him  in  the  Massachusetts." 

"Dear,  brave  Hugh!"  said  the  leper,  passionately 
kissing  the  jewel.  "  'Tis  several  years  since  I  sent 
him,  by  a  sure  hand,  this  same  token  and  saved  him 
from  treachery  and  a  cruel  death,  and  now,  shut  out 
as  I  am  from  human  companionship,  I  am  not  for 
gotten  or  unloved." 

"I  have  also  certain  monies  at  the  camp,"  said  Ste 
phen,  hurriedly,"  but  did  not  expect  to  meet  you  thus 
strangely,  and  therefore  cannot  now  fulfill  my  er 
rand.  I  doubt  not,  however,  that  I  might  leave  the 
package  in  a  sure  place  where  it  might  come  to  your 
hands,  if,  indeed,  in  a  few  days  we  fail  to  take  the 
city." 

"You  must  not  think  of  it,  sir,"  said  Olivarez, 
sternly.  "If  discovered,  it  might  cost  both  our  lives, 
but  certainly  yours,  and  of  the  siege  and  its  proba 
bilities  we  are  bound  in  honor  not  to  parley  more. 
Keep  the  gold,  until  in  God's  good  time  we  meet 
again;  and  if  you  cannot  bring  it  to  me  in  peace, 
you  are  heartily  welcome  to  a  sum  which  I  do  not 


366  Cartagena 


need,  and  can  never  hope  to  use.  But,  dear  sir,  favor 
me  with  the  name  of  one  to  whom  I  am  so  hopelessly 
indebted." 

"Stephen  Hay,  sergeant  of  Woodside's  company 
of  the  Massachusetts  contingent,  whilom  yeoman  of 
Sandwich  town  in  the  county  of  Barnstable,"  replied 
the  young  man  with  soldierly  directness. 

"Then,  Seiior  Hay,  when  this  officer  who  ap 
proaches  is  satisfied,  you  must  partake  of  my  hos 
pitality,  but  say  not  a  word  of  what  has  just  passed, 
and  be  careful  to  speak  little,  for  Luis  de  Ramon  is 
a  dangerous  man,  suspicious,  cruel,  and  merciless, 
although  handsome  and  courtly  enough." 

As  he  spoke,  from  the  castle  where  many  men 
labored  incessantly  to  increase  and  strengthen  the 
defenses,  came  a  tall,  slight  man,  in  all  the  splendor 
of  apparel  which  in  those  days  decked  a  colonel  of 
Spanish  infantry,  and  although  little  was  left  of  the 
defensive  armor  of  the  seventeenth  century,  the 
golden  gorget  which  depended  from  his  neck,  and 
the  thick  masses  of  bullion  embroidery  on  his  uni 
form,  seemed  to  promise  immunity  from  sword  cut 
or  bayonet  thrust,  if  unavailing  against  musket  shot 
or-mittraille. 

He  was  handsome  notwithstanding  his  leanness; 
his  cheeks  soft  despite  their  pallor,  and  his  eyes  and 
hair  were  black  and  singularly  attractive.  His  man 
ner  was  perfect  and  his  voice  soft  and  sweet,  al 
though  Hay  fancied  that  its  tones  were  insincere, 
and  if  the  truth  must  be  confessed,  detested  its 
owner  from  the  moment  of  meeting  him.  Yet  he  re 
proached  himself  therefor  promptly,  when  he  re- 


The  Hospital  of  Saint  Lazarus  367 

called  the  courteous  manner  and  words  with  which 
he,  a  poor  sergeant,  in  his  working  dress,  was 
greeted  by  a  Spaniard  of  noble  birth  and  ancient 
family. 

"You  have  succeeded,  Senor  Olivarez,  and  I  ac 
knowledge  myself  mistaken  as  to  the  gallantry  of 
our  persecutors.  This  gentleman,"  he  continued, 
raising  his  hat  gracefully  to  the  New  Englander,  "is, 
I  presume,  the  officer  deputed  to  make  the  necessary 
survey.  What  is  his  name  and  rank?" 

"He  is  a  sergeant  of  gentlemen  volunteers  from 
the  northern  colonies,  Don  Ramon,  and  in  his  own 
land  the  owner  of  an  cstancia  of  some  value.  They 
seem  to  think  it  no  shame  to  serve  in  the  ranks,  al 
though  unlike  the  Mousquetaires  Gris  of  France,  or 
the  Scots  brigade,  they  care  little  for  show  or  even 
revelry." 

Don  Ramon  bowed  low,  with  a  courtly  greeting  in 
Spanish.  Hay,  smiling  pleasantly,  removed  his  fa 
tigue  cap  with  a  somewhat  stiff  but  courteous  bow, 
and  in  Spanish  and  English  by  turns,  Olivarez  duly 
introduced  the  Spanish  colonel  and  our  sergeant  of 
volunteers. 

"If  you  will  permit  me,  Don  Ramon,  I  should  be 
pleased  to  offer  our  soldier  guest  a  slight  repast  and 
a  glass  of  Amontillado.  Will  it  please  you  to  accom 
pany  him  to  my  daughter's  bujio,  and  take  from  her 
hands  the  courtesy  I  canot  offer?" 

"Certainly,  my  poor  friend,"  said  Don  Ramon 
softly.  "Alas !  that  you  too  cannot  accompany  us,  or 
mingle  once  more  in  siege  and  battle  as  of  old.  But 
how  can  you  receive  under  your  roof  one  of  the 
slayers  of  your  only  son,  the  Senor  Carlos?" 


368  Cartagena 


"If  he  is  dead,  which  I  cannot  believe,  for  his  com 
rades  say  he  had  no  fatal  wound  when  his  gunners 
ran  from  the  fire  of  the  English  ship,  he  died  in  fair 
fight,  with  brave  men.  Life  had  little  left  for  me 
save  the  love  of  my  children ;  but  were  they  all  slain 
by  chance  of  war,  I  would  treat  every  generous  foe 
as  a  friend,  when  truce  or  treaty  made  peace  be 
tween  us." 

"By  the  Holy  Mother  of  God !  Spoken  like  the  Cid 
de  Campeador,  Seiior  Olivarez;  neither  will  I  be  less 
generous,  though  I  fear  I  shall  never  rest  quietly, 
until  my  rapier  has  once,  at  least,  been  red  in  heretic 
blood;  for  poor  Carlos  was  a  brave  srentleman,  and 
so  dear  to  us  all." 

"Then  your  quarrel  was  made  up  before  he  went 
to  Tierra  Bomba?"  said  Olivarez,  sadly. 

For  a  single  instant  a  flash  of  latent  fire  shot  from 
Don  Kamon's  lustrous  eyes,  and  a  tinge  of  color 
mounted  to  the  snowy  cheek,  and  then,  with  a  sigh, 
he  responded: 

"I  would  it  were  so;  but,  alas!  we  had  not  spoken 
for  days  when  he  took  boat  for  San  Luis  de  Boca 
Chica.  'Twas  a  slight  cause  of  quarrel — a  pretty 
face  and  coquettish  heart,  senor;  and  you  know 
young  blood  is  hot  and  hasty.  We  even  had  our 
rapiers  drawn  when  de  Eslaya  himself  stopped  us, 
for  'twas  in  the  patio  of  the  vice-royal  palace  itself; 
but  just  then,  I  would  have  fought  in  the  very  courts 
of  heaven.  But  peace  was  made,  and,  since,  I  have 
thought  myself  unfortunate  in  having  thus  incurred 
a  quarrel,  which  perhaps  may  never  be  healed  until 
we  meet  in  heaven." 


The  Hospital  of  Saint  Lazarus 


"Let  us  hope,  seiior,  for  better  things.  Don  Ra 
mon,  you  will  introduce  Seiior  Hay  to  the  senora 
Inez.  Inez,  you  will  proffer  to  these  gentlemen  the 
courtesies  I  cannot  show  them."  And,  waving  his 
hand,  the  father  turned  from  the  contemplation  of 
the  white  walls,  latticed  windows  and  broad  veran 
das,  nestling  amid  tropical  flowers  and  superabund 
ant  foliage,  and  went  toward  the  huge  gate  of  the 
blank  wall,  within  which  death  and  decay  reigned 
over  inmates  without  hope  of  earthly  happiness. 

But  Stephen,  following  respectfully,  entered 
through  the  palisadoed  fence  into  a  small  garden, 
where  the  cocoa  bore  its  precious  fruit  under  the 
graceful  palm  known  to  us  by  its  nut  of  the  same 
name,  and  the  curious  donzella,  or  sensitive  plant, 
folding  its  leaves  at  the  slightest  touch,  grew  amid 
parterres  of  gorgeous  flowers,  and  vines  whose 
smooth,  glossy  leaves  set  off  in  striking  contrast  cu 
rious  bells,  blossoms  and  trumpet-shaped  calyxes  of 
white,  scarlet  and  yellow. 

With  a  confused  survey  of  clean,  cool  mattings, 
gauzy  curtains,  white  linen,  bright  silver  and  crystal 
glass,  Hay  followed  on  to  where  Inez  de  Olivarez 
stood  beside  a  polished  table,  whereon  stood  a  va 
ried  repast  of  fruits,  pastry  and  more  substantial 
delicacies.  Seating  herself,  the  daughter  of  Oli 
varez  gracefully  did  the  honors  of  the  feast,  to  which 
both  did  ample  justice;  though,  from  his  fear  of  com 
promising  his  host,  Stephen  gave  no  sign  when  an 
occasional  phrase  struck  familiarly  upon  his 
memory.  ^ 

"You  have  been  too  cruel,  Inez  mia"  said  the 


370  Cartagena 


colonel,  after  some  moments  of  conversation  on  gen 
eral  subjects  had  satisfied  him  that  the  colonist 
cared  only  to  make  up  for  past  deprivations  by  pres 
ent  enjoyment  of  the  repast  before  him,  "and  I  am 
in  despair  that  you  still  reject  my  suit.  Surely  I  have 
not  so  bitterly  offended  in  my  hasty  quarrel  with 
your  unfortunate  brother?" 

"Let  us  not  speak  of  these  things  now,"  said  Inez, 
hurriedly.  "They  are  sad  and  perplexing,  and  we 
have  both  a  duty  to  this  gentleman  and  the  poor 
creatures  yonder.  May  the  Holy  Mother  and  Saint 
Lazarus  befriend  them.  Serve  the  wine,  Tomaso," 
she  continued,  addressing  a  negro  lad  in  waiting. 
"You  will  find  it  cool,  gentlemen,  although  our  stock 
of  snow  from  the  Horqueta  yonder,  is  running  low." 

The  servant  took  from  a  pail  filled  with  snow  a 
brace  of  long  necked,  slender  bottles,  extracted  the 
corks  deftly,  and  set  them  before  the  trio.  Don 
Ramon  poured  out  a  glass  for  Inez  and  one  for  him 
self,  and  Stephen  more  slowly  filled  his  own  glass. 

"Let  us  drink,  senor,  to  our  fair  hostess,"  said 
Ramon,  with  the  methodical  care  of  one  who  knows 
little  of  the  language  he  essays.  The  gentlemen  rose 
and  drank,  while  Inez  sipped  her  wine  and  bowed  in 
dignified  acknowledgment. 

"Health  and  thanks  to  our  generous  foes,"  said 
Inez,  in  turn,  which  being  translated  by  the  Span 
iard,  was  duly  honored,  while  Hay,  knowing  that  he 
too  was  bound  in  courtesy  to  propose  a  health,  knew 
scarcely  how  to  conceal  his  knowledge  of  Spanish, 
and  yet  acquit  himself  with  credit.  At  last,  how 
ever,  he  determined  to  trust  to  his  own  tongue  and 
the  translation  of  the  Spanish  colonel. 


The  Hospital  of  Saint  Lazarus  371 

"I  drink  to  a  speedy  and  honorable  peace,"  said 
the  tall  soldier,  rising  and  bowing  grandly  as  he 
spoke,  while  his  eyes  for  the  first  time,  met  those  of 
his  fair  entertainer.  "Thanks  for  your  kindness, 
lady,  and  to  you,  sir,  for  your  courtesy,  but  fhe  day 
draws  to  a  close,  and  I  have  much  to  do." 

"What  said  he,  senor?"  asked  Inez,  as  the  Span 
iard  lingered  a  little  over  another  glass  of  wine, 
while  Stephen  waited  at  the  verge  of  the  veranda, 
and  heard  the  careless  reply  of  the  enamored  colonel. 

"I  have  never  seen  such  a  man.  Even  Carlos,  your 
former  servant,  was  not  so  tall  and  strong.  I  would 
wager  my  life,  too,  that  he  is  as  true  and  tender  as 
he  is  magnificent." 

"By  Saint  Jago !  I  wonder  at  thee,  Inez  de  Oliva- 
rez,  for  thus  admiring  an  accursed  heretic;  a  soldier 
of  fortune,  seeking  to  plunder  your  native  city.  He 
is  huge  of  limb,  I  grant,  but  were  he  of  my  own 
rank,  he  should  underlie  my  challenge,  when  again 
we  meet  in  the  field ;  and  as  for  Don  Carlos,  the  Cata 
lan,  he  would  soon  lay  yonder  huge  carcass  under 
the  forest  leaves  to  moulder  into  mother  earth." 

"With  the* dagger,  perhaps,"  said  Inez,  with  a 
spark  of  sudden  anger.  "I  hear  he  had  to  enlist  to 
save  his  neck  from  the  garrote.  He  would  never 
dare  to  face  such  a  man,  foot  to  foot,  and  steel  to 
steel." 

"For  dios.  But  I  shall  believe  you  in  love  with 
yonder  Englishman.  But  let  us  cease  this  play  and 
be  serious,  for  I  confess  I  shall  be  jealous  if  you  say 
ought  farther.  As  to  Carlos,  they  say  he  died  at  the 
taking  of  the  lower  forts,  and  if  he  was  hasty  in  his 


372  Cartagena 


wrath,  tie  has  paid  his  last  forfeit,  and  we  could 
have  better  spared  just  now  a  better  man.  Adios, 
senora";  and  with  a  bow  and  a  look  full  of  tender 
meaning,  the  Spaniard  departed. 

A  few  paces  brought  them  to  the  gate  where 
Olivarez  awaited  their  coming,  and,  in  obedience  to 
Kamon's  orders,  the  great  gate  was  then  opened; 
From  its  threshold,  Stephen  saw  for  the  first  and 
last  time  in  his  life,  that  most  terrible  of  all  the 
refuges  of  stricken  humanity — a  village  of  lepers. 

Before  him  were  fair  gardens  and  shady  groves, 
the  houses  of  the  rich  and  the  hovels  of  the  poor,  and 
around  were  vineyards,  fields  of  maize,  plantations 
of  cocoa,  oranges,  limes  and  plantains,  and  every 
where  the  hands  of  man  had  secured  an  ample  re 
ward  for  their  labor. 

But  in  a  kind  of  plaza,  into  which  each  street  and 
by-way  opened,  stood  several  hundred  of  both  sexes 
and  all  ages,  on  whom  incurable  disease,  disgusting, 
hopeless  and  fatal,  had  set  its  unmistakable  seal. 

Hands  that  had  lost  their  fingers,  limbs  rotted  to 
elbow  and  knee,  eyes  that  looked  out  from  faces  cor 
roded  out  of  all  semblance  to  human  expression,  and 
forms  such  as  the  ancient  masters  depicted  to  show 
the  terrors  of  eternal  and  never-ending  pain,  greeted 
Stephen's  calm,  pitiful  gaze,  as,  after  a  quick  survey 
of  the  walls,  he  turned  resolutely  to  the  sad  assem 
blage  before  him.  A  friar  of  Benedictines  addressed 
him  from  amid  the  throng  in  fair  English,  stretching 
out,  as  he  spoke,  his  swollen  wrists. 

"Out  of  our  torments  we  thank  thee.  Carry  back 
to  the  living  what  thou  hast  seen  in  the  house  of  the 


The  Hospital  of  Saint  Lazarus  373 

dying.  We  who  are  about  to  die,  salute  thee  in 
amity  and  peace." 

"May  God  bless  and  pity  you,"  said  Stephen, 
hoarsely,  as  he  turned  away,  leaving  the  multitude 
on  their  knees,  and  hearing  behind  him,  as  he 
stepped  from  under  the  shadow  of  that  terrible  wall, 
the  grating  of  the  huge  iron-barred  gate  which  shut 
in  such  unutterable  and  hopeless  misery. 

"  Tis  a  sad  sight,  senor,"  said  Ramon,  carelessly, 
"and  I  thank  you  for  volunteering  to  satisfy  your 
commander  that  no  fortress  is  hidden  there.  The 
Sefior  de  Olivarez  will  conduct  you  beyond  the  lines. 
It  is  hardly  likely  we  shall  meet  again  unless  in 
battle." 

"Tell  him,"  replied  Stephen,  earnestly,  "that  I 
hope  we  shall  spare  each  other  even  then.  I  should 
not  like  to  wound  a  man  with  whom  I  have  broken 
bread." 

Olivarez  exchanged  a  few  words  with  the  officer, 
whose  reply  became  a  little  contemptuous,  as  he 
walked  away  with  a  cavalier  inclination  of  the  head. 

"What  said  he?"  asked  Stephen,  after  a  few  mo 
ments'  silence,  for  most  of  what  had  been  said  was 
undistinguishable. 

Olivarez  shook  his  head,  "It  would  do  no  good  to 
tell  you,  but  be  sure  that  in  battle  you  beware  of 
Don  Luis  de  Ramon.  Were  Carlos  the  Catalan  still 
in  his  pay,  I  would  warn  you  against  his  stiletto, 
even  in  your  camp." 

"But  what  cause  of  dislike  can  he  have  towards 
me?"  asked  Stephen  in  amazement. 

Olivarez  was  silent  a  moment,  and  then  replied: 


374  Cartagena 


"He  is  simply  jealous  of  the  little  attention  paid  you 
by  my  daughter;  and  the  fact  that  you  are  an  Eng 
lishman,  or  rather  a  British  soldier,  at  war  with 
Spain,  intensifies  what  might  otherwise  be  too  little 
to  rouse  even  his  dislike;  but  for  some  reason  he  is 
in  a  savage  and  dangerous  humor,  and  I  warn  you 
not  to  trust  to  his  generosity,  if  chance  brings  you 
together." 

Stephen  was  silent  for  a  moment,  and  then  said: 
"You  have  spoken  of  Carlos  the  Catalan.  He  is  alive 
and  in  our  camp,  and  nearly  cured  of  his  wounds. 
He  was  taken  prisoner  at  Boca  Chica." 

Olivarez  started  as  if  a  shot  had  struck  him,  and 
his  voice  wras  tremulous  and  faint  for  the  first  time, 
as  he  answered  Hay's  unexpected  disclosure.  "Are 
you  sure,  sir,  that  the  man  you  mean  is  indeed  Car 
los,  the  Catalan?  for  he  of  wrhom  yonder  officer  spoke 
was  reported  as  left  mortally  wrounded  at  St.  Joseph, 
having  volunteered  to  end  a  reckless  life  by  blowing 
up  the  magazine  as  the  English  entered." 

"Such  a  man  we  found  there,  but  so  drunken  that 
he  could  not  use  his  torch  on  the  train  he  had  pre 
pared.  As  to  his  wound,  it  was  not  mortal,  and  he  is 
now  in  yonder  camp,  and  held  to  be  a  willing  guide 
in  our  movements  on  the  city." 

"Have  you  heard  aught  of  an  officer  of  my  name, 
young,  brave  and  beautiful,  as  slain,  wounded  or 
prisoner  among  you?  My  only  son  wrent  forth  as  a 
volunteer  at  the  first  alarm,  and  we  have  no  word 
except  that  he  was  wounded  at  Boca  Chica,  and 
there  captured  by  the  English." 

A  memory  of  the  wounded  youth,  found  at  the  first 


The  Hospital  of  Saint  Lazarus  375 

landing  of  the  troops,  pressed  itself  on  Stephen's 
mind,  and  he  almost  shuddered  as  he  recalled  his 
late  search  in  the  midnight  forest,  and  the  finding 
of  the  fair,  young  form,  still  warm,  but  lifeless,  and 
pierced  by  the  assassin's  dagger.  Still  he  had  no 
means  of  knowing  that  this  man  was  indeed  the 
lost  youth,  and  he  could  not  crush  the  hopes  of  the 
man  before  him,  already  so  horribly  shut  out  from 
human  happiness. 

"I  know  little  of  the  prisoners,"  he  answered  at 
last,  "having  been  on  boat  or  detached  service  near 
ly  all  the  time,  and  therefore  cannot  give  you  either 
good  or  evil  tidings.  But  I  will  watch  well  yonder 
Catalan,  and  should  I  find  out  aught  I  will  resolve 
your  doubts,  so  far  as  I  may,  without  prejudice  to 
my  honor  as  a  soldier.  And  now  what  message  shall 
I  take  to  your  brother,  if  it  so  happen  that  we  never 
meet  again?" 

"Tell  him,"  said  the  leper  sadly,  "how  you  have 
found  me,  an  outcast  from  humanity,  bereft  of  all 
hope  of  farther  adventure,  or  even  a  soldier's  death, 
having  nothing  but  my  daughter's  dear  love,  the 
hope  of  heaven,  and  the  blessings  of  such  outcasts 
even  as  I,  whom  I  can  still  cheer,  aid  and  strengthen 
in  their  terrible  journey  to  death.  The  house  of 
Oliver,  of  Lincoln,  is  near  its  end,  and  soon  only  my 
poor  boy,  if  he  lives,  will  be  left  of  a  long  line  of 
gallant  gentlemen. 

"When  I  am  dead,  I  commit  my  children  to  his 
care,  and  enough  of  our  comrades  of  the  coast  or 
their  descendants,  are  left  to  secure  them  a  safe  pas 
sage  to  Jamaica,  and  thence  to  New  England.  Garry 


37G  Cartagena 


to  him  my  dearest  love  and  last  blessing,  and  tell 
him  not  of  the  sad  change  that  has  doomed  me 
to  corruption  while  still  strong  of  body,  and  with 
all  my  high  hopes  fresh  and  unsatisfied. 

"But  tell  him  all  else  freely  and  fully,  that  I  am 
rich,  influential  and  trusted;  that  I  remember  the 
youthful  sorrows  that  we  bore  together,  the  wild 
plans  we  laid  and  the  dangers  and  adventures  we 
met  in  company,  and  the  reverses  which  tore  us 
apart  and  have  since  kept  us  separate.  I  will  send 
him  news  by  a  sure  hand  when  all  is  over,  and  you 
are  in  possession  of  the  city,  or  in  retreat  to  Ja 
maica  ;  but  your  words  wTill  be  more  grateful  than  a 
written  missive." 

"If,  indeed,  you  have  such  means  of  communica 
tion,  I  would  that  you  should  acknowledge  my  er 
rand  as  done,"  said  Stephen,  earnestly.  "It  may  be 
that  I  may  be  a  dead  man  tomorrow,  for  more  than 
one  stout  fellow,  who  was  alive  and  well  at  sunrise, 
is  in  his  grave  ere  now." 

As  he  spoke,  they  reached  the  edge  of  the  wood 
land,  and  stood  on  the  border  of  an  open  plain  which 
lay  between  them  and  the  outer  line  of  the  English 
pickets.  Although  late  in  the  day  the  heat  was 
still  intense,  the  sun  poured  down  his  pitiless  rays, 
the  air  seemed  visible  as  the  rarefied  vapors  rose  up 
ward  from  the  parched  ground,  and  not  a  breath  of 
air  stirred  the  slender  tendrils  of  the  climbing 
lianas. 

"Take  this,"  said  Olivarez,  as  he  took  from  a 
thicket  a  broad  thick  leaf,  and  at  the  same  time  re 
placed  with  another  a  similar  one  which  had  inter- 


The  Hospital  of  Saint  Lazarus  377 

posed  between  his  jetty  hair  and  costly  sombrero.  "It 
may  save  you  a  sunstroke  even  now,  for  we  have  had 
few  days  so  trying  as  this  in  all  the  summer." 

"There  is  a  man  who  seems  not  to  care  for  the 
sun,"  said  Stephen,  pointing  to  a  picket  on  the  far 
ther  side  of  the  plain,  wrho  marched  back  and  forth 
across  an  open  space,  which  marked  the  course  of 
the  road  into  the  cocoa  orchards  opposite. 

"  'Tis  as  much  as  his  life  is  worth  to  expose  him 
self  thus,  and,  if  such  is  the  way  in  which  your  offi 
cers  waste  their  men,  you  will  never  sleep  within  the 
walls  of  Cartagena,  for  even  we,  who  have  spent 
many  years  here,  care  not  to  tempt  death  so  readily 
and,  if  you  will  pardon  me,  so  foolishly.  But  we 
have  no  warrant  for  such  converse,  so  let  us  on  to 
the  camp  and  give  account  of  our  errand." 

They  crossed  the  open  and,  being  duly  challenged, 
passed  the  tall  sentry,  and  escorted  by  the  guard  he 
summoned,  went  on  to  headquarters,  where  the  gen 
eral  received  them  frankly,  and  not  unkindly. 

"Ah!  Our  envoy  from  the  hospital,  and  our  stout 
sergeant  of  the  Americans.  What  have  you  seen, 
sirrah?  May  we  spare  all  our  shot  and  shell  to  San 
Lazaro?" 

"It  would  be  but  too  horrible,  your  Excellency,  to 
turn  upon  those  so  afflicted  by  the  hand  of  God,  the 
wrrath  of  man  and  the  horrors  of  a  bombardment.  I 
do  not  believe  that  we  could  force  a  regiment  into 
the  open  gate  of  yonder  lazar  house,  if  only  its  un 
happy  people  stood,  as  I  saw  them,  within  its  ac 
cursed  portals." 

"And  the  Spaniards?" 


378  Cartagena 


"The  Spaniards/'  answered  Olivarez  in  good  Eng 
lish,  "are  even  more  afraid  of  the  leprosy  than  this 
brave  soldier,  who  for  the  first  time  has  seen  its 
dreadful  ravages.  I  will  promise  on  my  honor  that 
nothing  from  among  us  shall  harm  your  array, 
though  you  muster  under  the  shadow  of  our  walls  to 
storm  San  Lazaro." 

"I  doubt  you  not,"  said  Wentworth  coldly,  "and 
yet  methinks  I  have  but  little  warrant  to  put  trust  in 
a  strange  Spaniard,  and  perhaps  even  a  renegade 
Englishman." 

For  a  moment  the  stranger's  eyes  gleamed  with 
suppressed  wrath,  and  he  seemed  about  to  challenge 
to  mortal  arbitrament  the  stern  veteran  before 
whom  he  stood,  but  with  a  visible  struggle  he  over 
came  the  impulse  and  answered  calmly: 

"I  am  an  Englishman ;  once  a  captive  of  war,  and 
doomed  to  servile  punishment;  since,  by  strange  for 
tunes,  risen  to  wealth  and  honor,  as  your  guide, 
Captain  McPherson,  has  ere  this  no  doubt  told  you. 
I  have  seen  the  time  when  I  would  have  resented  to 
the  death  your  useless  taunt,  but  what  has  a  leper 
to  do  with  honor,  or  an  outcast  to  hope  in  the  way 
of  generous  and  gallant  forbearance.  Furthermore, 
were  I  hale  and  sound,  I  might  well  stomach  such 
affront  for  the  sake  of  the  hundreds  yonder,  who 
seek  only  the  pity  of  man  and  the  happiness  whose 
portal  is  the  grave." 

"Pardon  me,  senor,"  said  the  gruff  old  war  dog, 
"I  know  not  why  I  said  so  unmanly  a  thing,  and  I 
will  see  that  you  suffer  no  added  misfortune  at  my 
hands.  Have  you  aught  to  say  farther  to  the  ser 
geant  here?" 


The  Hospital  of  Saint  Lazarus  379 

Olivarez  took  from  his  doubtlet  a  purse  of  gold, 
but  Stephen  raised  his  hand:  "I  went  only  because 
in  conscience  I  could  not  refuse.  Give  to  those  who 
need  it  yonder,  whatever  you  would  willingly  bestow 
upon  me." 

The  leper  turned  with  a  courtly  bow,  strangely 
sad  in  its  suggestion  of  a  gallant  past,  and  said  in 
tones  still  full  of  manly  feeling  his  last  farewell: 
"Our  prayers,  your  Excellency,  will  ever  seek  for 
you  all  blessings,  except  such  as  in  honor  and  loy 
alty  we  cannot  wish  you.  To  you,  sir,"  he  added,  "we 
can  never  repay  the  debt  created  by  your  charity  and 
unselfish  kindness." 

A  half  hour  later  Stephen  rejoined  his  comrades, 
and  found  that  the  exposure  of  the  day  had  filled  the 
new  hospital  with  dying  men,  prostrated  by  the 
heat,  fever  and  fatigue,  and  among  the  last  victims 
of  coup  de  soldi  were  counted  the  major  of  marines, 
and  the  tall  sentinel  who  had  paced  the  open  road 
that  led  to  the  hospital  of  San  Lazaro. 


Chapter    XXVI. 
The  Spanish  Musket 

"I  wish  I  could  use  this  gun  and  fight  Indian  way," 
said  Untequit  to  Stephen,  one  night  shortly  after, 
as  they  sat  in  the  moonlight  near  the  door  of  their 
tent.  "I  don't  like  this  way.  Too  much  fuss  and 
work  and  too  little  fight." 

"That  is  true  enough,"  said  Stephen;  "and  the 
worst  of  it  is  that  we  are  dying  off  so  fast,  that  now 
wre  can  hardly  find  men  enough  to  do  duty  on  guard 
and  picket.  If  we  had  the  two  or  three  thousand 
men  they  keep  on  board  the  fleet  doing  nothing,  we 
might  at  least  be  spared  from  guard  duty  one  night 
more  in  the  week." 

"That's  not  the  worst,"  said  Untequit,  grimly. 
"Those  hunters  that  waylay  our  laborers  and  scout 
ing  parties  are  few  in  number,  yet  they  are  firing 
away  all  day  long,  and,  if  they  could  shoot  better, 
would  kill  us  all  before  we  got  ready  to  fight. 
What's  the  use  of  charging  bayonets  on  a  man  hid 
in  the  woods?" 

Stephen  laughed  heartily,  as  he  recalled  the  inci 
dent  which  had  excited  his  companion's  disgust.  A 
party  of  negroes  and  Americans  at  work  amid  the 
tangled  forest  growth;  a  fusilade  from  scattered 
marksmen,  too  distant  to  do  more  than  wound  a 
man  here  and  there;  a  hurried  call  to  arms,  followed 
by  the  useless  farce  of  an  advance  of  heavily  ac 
coutred  marines  into  the  silent  forest. 


The  Spanish  Musket  381 

"I  think,  myself,  we  could  have  given  a  better  ac 
count  of  them  with  half  a  dozen  of  our  own  lads; 
but  our  guns  are  no  match  for  such  a  piece  as  you 
have  there.  Still  we  could  keep  the  woods  clear,  I 
dare  say,  if  they'll  let  us  scout  instead  of  working 
beside  those  blacks." 

"I'd  like  to  try  it,  even  if  I  had  to  go  alone,"  said 
Untequit,  sullenly.  "I'm  tired  of  such  war  as  this — 
tired  of  seeing  our  soldiers  rot  like  sheep  when  they 
might  die  like  brave  men." 

"You  are  right,  Untequit,"  said  a  familiar  voice, 
and  turning,  they  saw  beside  them  Captain  Wood- 
side.  "I  will  see  Colonel  Grant  tonight  and  get  his 
permission  to  scout  in  the  belt  of  timber,  between 
the  camp  and  the  southern  shore  of  the  C'icgna  de 
Tcscas,  as  they  call  that  lake  to  the  eastward.  How 
do  you  propose  to  circumvent  the  Spaniards, 
though?  The  colonel  will  want  to  understand  it." 

"When  I  go  shooting,"  said  Untequit  meaningly, 
"I  go  where  the  birds  haunt,  sit  down,  keep  close, 
and  let  them  come  within  range.  I  think  that  is  the 
best  way  now  to  hunt  up  Spaniards." 

"I  see,"  said  Woodside,  gaily,  "and  I  think  Colonel 
Grant  will  be  satisfied.  Wait  a  few  moments  and  I 
will  return." 

Half  an  hour  later  Woodside  returned  with  au 
thority  to  send  out  one  or  more  men  on  scouting 
service,  but  restricting  their  operations  solely  to  the 
wooded  face  of  the  encampment,  from  whence  the 
annoyance  had  proceeded. 

"At  what  time  will  you  start,  and  whom  will 
you  have  with  you,"  asked  the  captain.  "You  can 


382  Cartagena 


go  when  you  pleas.e,  and  have  whoever  you  want — 
except  him,"  he  added,  as  Untequit's  eyes  turned 
promptly  toward  his  loved  and  trusted  comrade. 

"Then  I  go  alone,  and  start  tonight  when  the 
moon  begins  to  wane.  I  must  get  two  miles  into  the 
wood  before  daylight,"  and  Untequit  turned  silently 
to  his  preparations  for  his  solitary  and  dangerous 
task.  He  laid  aside  all  his  trappings  except  his 
waist-belt,  and  this  supported  only  a  small  pouch  of 
bullets  and  a  long  knife.  A  small  powder  horn  hung 
from  his  left  shoulder,  and  the  long  Spanish  gun, 
carefully  cleaned  and  dried,  was  loaded  with  a  com 
paratively  light  charge  of  powder,  and  a  ball  care 
fully  selected  and  patched  with  oiled  buckskin. 

Two  or  three  hard  biscuit  and  a  canteen  of  wrater, 
completed  the  Indian's  preparations  for  the  adven 
ture,  and  he  laid  himself  down  on  his  mat  and  was 
almost  instantly  in  a  profound  slumber. 

When  the  Indian  arose  it  was  still  about  two 
hours  before  daybreak,  but  the  sky  was  clear,  over 
head,  and  the  moon  was  still  high  enough  to  give 
sufficient  light  in  the  comparatively  open  country, 
inside  the  line  of  pickets. 

He  went  directly  to  the  officer  of  the  camp-guard, 
who  promptly  sent  an  orderly  to  the  major  com 
manding  the  picket  reserve,  who,  growling  in  turn 
at  the  untimely  interruption  of  his  nap,  sent  a  cor 
poral  to  see  him  safely  past  the  picket  line  at  the 
point  most  annoyed  by  the  guerrilla  parties  sent  out 
from  the  city,  or  seeking  to  enter  the  entrenchments 
of  their  beleaguered  friends. 

"They  killed  an'  wrounded  three  ov  our  min,  yis- 


The  Spanish  Musket  383 

terday,  sur,"  said  his  guide,  as  he  pointed  to  a  dense 
growth  of  chapparal  an  hundred  yards  away,  "an' 
we  can't  get  at  thim,  any  how.  They'll  not  be  long 
in  killin'  yez,  all  alone  in  there,  I'm  thinkin';  an' 
yed  betther  turn  back  while  there's  toime." 

Untequit  only  smiled  in  reply,  but  at  taking  leave, 
said  to  his  companion,  "At  night  I  climb  yonder 
tree,  and  whistle  three  times.  Let  the  men  here 
know  that  they  may  not  shoot  when  I  come  in,"  and 
crouching  almost  flat  to  the  earth,  he  was  lost  in  the 
thicket  so  suddenly  and  noiselessly  that  the  soldier, 
as  he  hastily  retreated  within  his  own  lines,  almost 
persuaded  himself  that  he  had  seen  the  last  of  a  be 
ing  more  or  less  than  mortal. 

But  Untequit,  moving  quietly  southward, made  his 
way  through  the  dense  growth  of  vines,  bushes,  and 
herbage,  lifting  out  of  his  way  each  withered  twig, 
avoiding  every  slender  reed  or  palm,  whose  motion 
might  betray  his  presence,  and  soon  found  himself 
inside  the  dense  barrier,  which  had  served  the  hunt 
ers  of  the  interior  for  a  shelter  in  their  harrassing 
warfare. 

Even  by  the  light  of  the  moon  the  Indian  soon 
found  several  by-paths,  leading  from  a  narrow  trail, 
which,  as  he  judged,  ran  towards  the  city  from  the 
scattered  cstancias  to  the  south  of  the  great  lake. 
At  the  end  of  each  of  the  smaller  trails,  he  found  a 
covert  for  one  or  more  marksmen,  most  of  them  be 
ing  furnished  by  gigantic  trees,  whose  lower  limbs 
bore  the  marks  of  much  climbing,  while  at  their 
base  the  remnants  of  half-consumed  cigaritos  told  of 
the  lengthened  watching  of  the  enemy's  scouts. 


384  Cartagena 


There  were  five  such  trees  lying  within  easy  reach 
of  each  other,  and  all  were  easily  com 
manded  from  a  sixth  tree,  a  low,  thick-set 
oak,  which  stood  at  the  brink  of  a  narrow 
ravine  leading  westward,  and  just  avoided 
by  the  main  footpath.  The  Indian  had  still  an  hour 
before  day.  He  again  took  the  trail,  and,  running 
noiselessly,  approached  the  Spanish  lines,  until  he 
saw  before  him  the  open  level  commanded  by  the 
guns  of  the  fortress  convent  of  La  Popa.  It  was  evi 
dent  that  no  foe  was  to  be  expected  from  that  quar 
ter;  and,  returning  as  rapidly,  he  again  found  him 
self  near  the  brink  of  the  ravine  just  as  the  day  be 
gan  to  dawn. 

Already  the  hum  of  insect  life  began  to  break 
the  stillness.  The  birds  were  twittering  to  each 
other  in  the  thickets,  and  the  tree-snakes,  rustling 
from  bough  to  bough,  now  and  then  dropped  with 
undulating  coils  before  him,  hissing  at  the  invasion 
of  their  domain.  More  than  once  he  was  tempted 
to  slay  the  abhorred  creatures  with  the  long  steel 
ramrod  of  his  weapon,  but  he  dared  not  risk  detec 
tion,  and  he  had  made  up  his  mind  not  to  fail  in  the 
task  he  had  undertaken;  so  he  waited  until  the  way 
was  cleared,  and  passed  on  unassailed  and  unassail- 
ing. 

At  last  he  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  chapparal,  and 
the  path,  narrow  but  deeply  worn,  as  if  by  long  use, 
ran  through  the  deep  grass,  across  a  broad  savan 
nah,  and  was  lost  among  broken  ground, 
which  seemed  to  indicate  a  hilly  tract,  dotted  with 
copses  of  various  woods.  The  sun  was  hardly  risen 


The  Spanish  Musket  385 

when,  from  behind  the  nearest  eminence,  appeared 
the  irregulars  whose  bush-fighting  he  had  come  to 
oppose  in  like  manner. 

There  were  a  dozen  at  least — strong,  bronzed, 
•fierce  looking  men,  who,  clad  in  the  close  fitting  garb 
of  the  country,  varied  only  by  rough  leggins  of  goat 
and  deer  skin,  and  armed  with  long  guns  and 
machetes,  or  Spanish  knives,  carried  also  gourd- 
flasks,  and  hunting-bags  of  jaguar  and  ocelot  skin; 
and  as  only  about  half  of  them  were  thus  provided, 
Untequit  was  not  without  hope  that  the  others  were 
come  merely  to  scout  over  the  ground,  and  satisfy 
themselves  that  no  hostile  force  had  occupied  the 
scene  of  their  operations. 

They  moved  leisurely,  talking  and  laughing  as 
they  went,  and  from  time  to  time  renewed  their 
husk- wrapped  cigar  it  os,  or  took  a  sip  from  the  hunt 
ing-flasks,  which,  as  Untequit  judged,  contained 
something  stronger  than  water.  On  a  nearer  ap-- 
proach,  however,  they  became  more  cautious,  and 
looked  to  their  locks  and  priming;  and  the  Indian  at 
once  retired,  following  the  windings  of  the  path,  un 
til  at  last  he  saw,  a  little  to  the  right,  the  narrow  ra 
vine  before  spoken  of. 

Entering  the  chapparal,  he  soon  reached  the  gully, 
which  he  followed  up  to  its  head,  and,  finding  a 
ledge  easy  of  access,  ascended  the  bank,  and,  enter 
ing  the  underbrush,  crawled  stealthily  to  a  position 
from  which  he  could  command  a  view  of  the  trail. 

Ere  long  they  passed  the  scout,  moving  so  silently 
that  they  wrere  almost  close  upon  him  before  he 
caught  a  glimpse  of  their  gay  scarfs  and  broad  som- 


386  Cartagena 


breros;  and,  having  searched  the  ground  with  some 
care,,  five  of  them  ascended  the  great  cottonwoods, 
seating  themselves  astride  huge  limbs,  and,  divest 
ing  themselves  of  their  flasks  and  haversacks,  hung 
them  upon  projecting  twigs  near  them,  and  secured 
their  long  guns  with  lanyards  to  the  boughs  where 
on  they  sat. 

The  remainder  kept  o.n  up  the  path,  but  soon  re 
turned,  having  left  one  of  their  number,  as  Untequit 
judged,  to  keep  guard  against  an  attack  from  be 
yond  that  part  of  the  chapparal  which  the  English 
troops  had  found  impenetrable,  and  with  a  few 
words  of  encouragement  left  their  comrades  to 
carry  on  their  irregular  warfare;  which  began  as 
soon  as  the  sun  had  fairly  risen,  and  the  working  and 
scouting  parties  of  the  English  went  forth  to  their 
perilous  and  fatiguing  duties. 

For  some  time  the  ambushed  ranger  watched  the 
Spaniards  as  they  loaded  and  fired  their  long,  small- 
bored  fowling  pieces,  weighing  carefully  every 
movement,  and  noting  every  circumstance  of  posi 
tion  and  cover,  of  advantage  and  disadvantage, 
which  might  affect  his  chances  of  success  or  safety. 

He  saw  that  while  all  were  more  or  less  visible 
from  the  trail,  the  central  Spaniard  was  in  the  rear 
of  his  two  companions,  who,  in  their  turn,  could  not 
see  each  other,  but  could  see  the  two  on  the  flanks 
and  nearest  to  the  enemy.  It  was  evident  that,  if  in 
the  midst  of  a  general  or  intermittent  fusilade  he 
could  bring  down  the  central  and  rearmost  man, 
he  might  hope  to  pick  off  the  others  at  his  leisure. 
The  project  was  as  promptly  carried  out  as  con- 


The  Spanish  Musket  387 

ccivod,  and  was  worthy  of  the  most  cool,  wary  and 
daring  frontiersman. 

With  his  gun  ready  for  the  fatal  shot,  Untequit 
worked  his  way  to  a  tree  not  twenty  yards  in  the 
rear  of  the  doomed  Creole,  who  had  just  reloaded 
and  intently  peered  through  the  thick  branches  at 
the  open  cocoa  orchards  beyond  the  belt  of  chappa- 
ral;  and  again  and  again  the  marksman  laid  his 
cheek  upon  the  inlaid  breech  of  his  Toledan  weapon, 
and  as  often,  with  a  disappointed  air,  refrained 
from  dispatching  the  uncertain  bullet.  Suddenly 
on  the  left  a  number  of  dropping  shots  were  heard, 
which,  as  the  Indian  thought,  were  from  another 
position  taken  by  the  rest  of  the  scouting  party,  and, 
by  the  motions  of  those  before  him,  he  judged  that 
the  party  already  fired  upon  was  in  motion  toward 
the  lake,  for  the  Spaniards,  with  significant  gestures 
and  signals,  made  ready  for  an  attack  at  the  proper 
moment. 

Untequit's  eyes  gleamed  like  a  tiger's  when 
crouching  for  the  spring,  and  while  the  man  near 
est  him  again  took  deliberate  aim  at  his  victim,  the 
Indian  raised  his  piece  and  fired,  just  as  the  volley 
of  bullets  broke  from  the  Spanish  ambush.  His  aim 
wras  fatal,  and  the  Spaniard,  shot  through  the  brain, 
came  to  the  ground,  while  Untequit,  leaping  up, 
crept  swiftly  to  the  rear  of  the  ceiba,  stepped  over 
the  body  of  his  victim  and  climbed  lightly  to  the 
perch  he  had  just  occupied.  A  charge  of  grape 
came  hurtling  through  the  branches  as  he  did  so, 
uselessly  rattling  against  the  huge  trunks  and 
branches;  and  the  remaining  guerillas,  reloading  as 


388  Cartagena 


quickly  as  possible,  fired  again  and  again  on  the  ap 
proaching  enemy. 

The  Indian's  second  shot  brought  down  the  near 
est  man  on  his  right  just  as  he  cast  about  to  reload, 
and  the  third  was  killed  by  a  bullet  from  the  gun  of 
his  first  victim.  But  so  thick  was  the  smoke  and  so 
great  their  excitement,  that  the  Spaniards  nearest 
such  English  as  were  vainly  trying  to  penetrate 
the  tangled  growth,  only  cared  to  reload  and  fire  as 
fast  as  possible,  before  retiring  from  their  infuriated 
assailants. 

Descending  quickly,  Untequit  was  soon  at  the 
foot  of  the  tree  occupied  by  the  fourth  Spaniard,  who 
caught  sight  of  his  enemy,  and  tried  to  take  his 
cumbrous  weapon  from  the  forked  branch  by  which 
he  had  steadied  his  fatal  aim.  A  terrible  expression 
of  helpless  hate  and  hopeless  terror  convulsed  his 
features,  but  the  fatal  shot  rang  out,  and  with  a  leap 
into  midair  the  dying  Spaniard  crashed  through  the 
boughs  into  the  thick  web  of  lianas  below  him,  to 
drop  like  a  wounded  bird,  from  one  entangled  fold 
to  another,  to  the  ground. 

Only  the  fifth  remained,  and  as  the  ranger  dashed 
the  charge  of  powder  into  the  smoking  tube  and 
took  the  ragged  bullet  from  his  mouth  he  saw  that 
he  was  discovered ;  for  the  Creole  glided  behind  his 
tree  to  shield  himself  from  this  new  enemy.  Un 
fortunately  for  himself,  just  at  this  instant  a  second 
charge  of  mitraille  from  the  gun,  brought  to  bear  on 
the  chapparal,  hurtled  into  that  very  tree  and 
brought  him  to  the  ground. 

All  the  Spaniards  had  perished,  except  the  scout 


The  Spanish  Musket  389 

who  watched  the  forest  path  toward  Mount  de  La 
Popa,  and  as  soon  as  Untequit  had  witnessed  the  un 
expected  fall  of  his  antagonist,  he  moved  off  down 
the  trail  in  that  direction,  ^e  task  was  not  with 
out  its  dangers,  for  the  scouting  party,  indignant 
at  the  loss  of  several  of  their  men,  and  the  futility 
of  trying  to  charge  into  the  entangled  tropical  for 
est,  were  pouring  their  volleys  in  as  fast  as  possible, 
wherever  fancy  or  hope  of  a  chance  shot  prompted 
them.  He  had  several  narrow  escapes,  but  the 
Spaniard,  fearful  of  being  cut  off,  retreated  to  find 
his  companions,  and  suddenly  stopped,  transported 
with  terror,  as  he  found  himself  within  ten  paces  of 
the  levelled  musket  of  the  slayer  of  his  comrades. 

Far  better  had  it  been  for  many  a  brave  man,  and 
the  future  operations  of  the  siege,  had  Untequit  fol 
lowed  his  first  merciless  impulse  and  deliberately 
shot  the  wretch,  so  stupefied  with  fear,  that,  for 
getting  his  gun  and  knife  and  even  the  heavy  pis 
tols  at  his  belt,  he  dropped  his  long-barrelled  gun 
and  sank  upon  his  knees  before  him.  The  Indian, 
however,  could  not  so  easily  forget  his  Christian 
training,  and  still  keeping  him  covered  with  his 
piece,  made  him  unloose  and  throw  away  his  belt; 
and  driving  him  before  him  soon  issued  from  the 
forest,  near  the  outer  picket-line,  between  the  main 
encampment  and  La  Popa. 

It  wras  scarcely  noon,  when  amid  the  cheers  of  the 
soldiers,  the  Indian  delivered  his  captive  to  the 
guard,  and  accompanied  him  to  headquarters, 
where,  after  giving  an  account  of  his  adventure,  he 
was  dismissed  with  many  expressions  of  approval, 


390  Cartagena 


and  more  than  one  bright  piece  of  gold  and  silver, 
which,  as  it  was  a  custom  of  those  days  to  thus  re 
ward  the  brave  deeds  of  "the  baser  sort/'  Untequit 
placed  in  his  wallet  with  as  much  pride,  as  the  sol 
dier  to-day  affixes  to  his  breast  the  Victoria  or  the 
Iron  Cross. 

That  night,  Carlos,  the  Catalan  marine,  having 
served  as  interpreter  in  the  temporary  absence  of 
Captain  McPherson;  the  prisoner  being  interrogated 
as  to  himself  and  his  object  in  approaching  the 
camp,  fearlessly  avowed  his  purpose,  and  was  at 
once  given  his  choice  between  serving  in  the  capac 
ity  of  a  guide,  or  death  at  daylight  upon  the  gal 
lows.  For  a  moment  or  two  the  men  thought  that 
the  peasant  (for  such  he  seemed)  would  refuse  to 
serve  even  under  compulsion,  but  at  last  he  begged 
for  his  life  so  piteously  that  the  officers  turned 
from  him  in  disgust,  and  the  general  deemed  that 
he  had  little  to  fear  from  treachery  on  the  part  of 
so  pusillanimous  a  wretch. 

Stephen  had  spent  the  day  with  his  men,  in  prepa 
rations  which  seemed  to  indicate  a  decided  move 
ment  or  attack  upon  the  outposts  of  the  enemy ;  for 
on  every  hand  fascines  were  being  constructed,  fag 
gots  of  small  twigs  bound  together,  and  long  rough 
ladders  furnished  with  iron  hooks,  indicating  a  pos 
sible  attempt  at  an  escalade.  Rumors  were  plentiful 
of  an  attempted  ransom  on  the  part  of  the  viceroy; 
of  a  boat  attack  on  the  batteries  commanding  Boca 
Grande;  of  a  great  floating  battery  in  process  of  com 
pletion  from  the  hull  of  the  Gallicia,  the  Spanish  ad 
miral's  flagship;  and  what  seemed  less  certain,  but 


The  Spanish  Musket  391 

more  likely,  an  attempt  to  storm  the  castle  of  San 
Lazaro. 

The  weather  continued  to  alternate  sudden  rain 
squalls  with  fatal  heated  spells,  and  the  mortality 
among  the  working  parties  had  greatly  terrified  the 
leaders  of  army  and  navy  alike ;  and  the  negroes  re 
ceived  little  aid  in  the  construction  of  the  breaching 
batteries,  from  which  alone  success  could  reason 
ably  be  expected. 

So  death  and  sloth  for  the  most  part  reigned  su 
preme,  and,  with  a  strange  mixture  of  fear  and 
languid  licssc,  the  doomed  soldiers  saw  their  dead 
comrades  hurried  into  the  common  grave-pits,  and 
as  they  lolled  under  the  trees  or  the  steaming  canvas 
of  their  drenched  tents,  felt  an  unwonted  indisposi 
tion  to  labor,  and  an  ever-increasing  and  wonderful 
excitation  of  the  brain,  which,  varying  with  every 
mood,  developed  in  a  thousand  extravagances  the 
growing  fever,  whose  relentless  fury  spared  scarce 
a  tithe  of  those  attacked. 

The  Americans,  less  intemperate  and  vicious,  and 
more  inured  to  extremes  of  heat  and  cold,  and  to  the 
sudden  changes  of  climate  experienced  in  the  New 
World,  suffered  less,  and  did  most  of  the  little  ac 
complished  in  hastening  the  preparations  for  the 
siege;  but  even  in  their  ranks,  almost  a  fourth  of 
those  landed  had  already  perished,  and  rumors  of 
the  most  horrible  import  told  sad  tales  of  the  lot  of 
those  still  confined,  from  fear  of  treachery,  to  the 
ships. 

"Well  done,  Untequit!"  cried  Stephen,  heartily, 
as  the  Indian  finished  his  story  of  the  day's  achieve- 


392  Cartagena 


ments.  "You've  shown  them  what  a  good  musket 
and  a  skilled  ranger  can  do,  and  I  hope  you'll  find 
the  regulars  less  foolish  about  fighting  in  platoons, 
and  charging  bayonets  into  thickets  where  a  man  is 
like  an  alewive  in  a  dip-net.  The  captain  will  be 
pleased,  I'm  sure;  for  it  wasn't  an  hour  before  you 
came  in  with  yonder  Spaniard,  that  he  asked  me 
where  I  thought  you  were,  and  if  I  thought  you'd 
get  off  safe." 

His  comrade  made  no  answer,  but  a  redder  flush 
crimsoned  his  swarthy  cheeks,  and  his  eyes  grew 
deeper  and  brighter  in  their  glance  of  mingled  af 
fection  and  pride.  He  said  nothing,  however,  but 
with  his  knife  and  file  labored  assiduously  at  some 
tiny  pegs  of  silver  cut  from  the  worn  disk  of  a  Span 
ish  pistareen. 

"Ah,  welcome,  Untequit!"  said  a  kindly  voice,  as 
the  last  smooth  stud  was  driven  into  the  rosewood 
stock.  "How  has  your  hunting  sped?  How  many 
Spaniards  may  we  count  the  less  for  your  scout?" 

Untequit  held  the  stock  of  the  Spanish  musket 
toward  his  interlocutor,  and  pointed  out  to  his  cap 
tain  the  little  row  of  bright,  smooth  studs  which 
barely  roughened  the  gripe  of  the  stock.  Amid  a 
labyrinth  of  devices  in  fine  gold  and  silver  wire,  the 
five  silver  projections  at  once  attracted  the  atten 
tion  of  the  captain. 

"Why  do  you  spoil  such  fine  workmanship  with 
these  rough  studs?"  asked  Woodside,  curiously. 

"There  were  six  Spaniards  alive  this  morning," 
said  Untequit,  quietly,  "and  only  one  remains  alive 
tonight.  For  every  stud  in  the  stock,  a  man  has 
yielded  up  his  life." 


Chapter  XXVII. 
The  Assault  on  San  Lazaro 

On  the  8th  of  April,  the  council  of  war  held  at  the 
headquarters  of  the  land  forces,  almost  without  a 
dissenting  voice,  agreed  that  in  view  of  the  lack  of 
water,  which  was  already  fearfully  low  in  the  great 
stone  cisterns  of  the  estancias  around  La  Quinta, 
and  also  considering  that  less  than  5,000  men  were 
left  for  service  and  those  daily  sickening  and  dying 
at  a  fearful  rate  of  depletion,  it  was  not  wise  to  at 
tempt  to  take  Cartagena  by  the  slow  but  sure 
process  of  investment  and  breaching  batteries,  be 
fore  which  the  outer  defences  of  the  city  had  fallen. 

It  was  also  decided  to  attack  the  fortress  of  San 
Lazaro  the  next  morning  at  daybreak,  and  when 
Untequit  returned  successful  from  his  second  day  of 
scouting  he  found  his  comrades  busily  preparing 
for  the  coming  struggle.  But  there  was  little  re 
joicing  at  the  summons,  and  even  Hay's  calm  fea 
tures  were  overspread  with  the  general  indignation, 
which,  when  once  their  officers  had"  retired  to  their 
quarters,  broke  out  into  open  discontent. 

"  Tears  to  me,"  said  Jones,  in  his  querulous  way, 
"they  think  we're  nothing  more'n  hosses  or  oxen, 
an'  fit  only  to  fetch  an'  carry  for  their  darned  gran- 
nydeers.  Who  wants  to  kerry  up  them  pesky  grana- 
does  for  another  man,  an'  stan'  fire  without  firm'  a 
shot?" 

"I've  got  a  twelve-foot  ladder  to  carry,"  said  a 


394  Cartagena 


young  Bostonian,  "an'  I'll  eat  my  ramrod  if  I  can't 
beat  any  one  of  Colonel  Grant's  whole  regiment, 
when  it  comes  to  shootin'." 

"They've  detailed  me  to  lug  a  great  pack  of  wool," 
said  Gibbs  bitterly,  and  evidently  feeling  that  long 
suffering  had  at  last  found  its  limits;  "and  as  fer 
me,  I'll  die  before  any  cussed  red-coated  tyrant 
shell—" 

"Hush;"  said  Hay  soothingly.  "Don't  be  fool 
enough,  Gibbs,  to  say  what  you  cannot  be  allowed  to 
carry  out.  We  are  assigned  to  our  duty  and,  though 
we  have  been  shamefully  treated,  this  at  least  is 
necessary,  and  needs  brave,  reliable  and  active  men 
to  properly  perform  it,  so  as  to  enable  the  storming 
party  to  meet  the  Spaniards  on  the  walls.  We  shan't 
need  any  guns  until  the  ladders  are  against  the 
walls,  and  planted  on  the  wool-sacks  and  fascines; 
and  there'll  be  plenty  of  muskets  lying  ownerless  by 
that  time." 

"You're  right,  sergeant,"  said  Gibbs,  after  a  mo 
ment's  silence,  "but  ef  I  ever  do  see  Massachusetts 
again,  I'll  never  take  service  under  any  but  our  own 
folks.  These  red-coated  reg'lars  care  no  more  fer 
thar  own  men  fhan  ef  they  was  dogs,  but  a  colonist 
is  no  account  at  all,  no  more  than  a  Jamaiky  nigger." 

"What's  the  use,  sergeant,"  said  the  youth  who 
had  before  spoken,  "for  us  to  bear  everything  pa 
tiently  an'  do  our  duty  as  we  have,  in  spite  of  neg 
lect,  slightin'  words  an'  hard  usage?  It  only  makes 
'em  worse  to  see  that  we  do  our  work  well,  an'  just 
the  same." 

Stephen's  voice  had  in  it  a  strange  ring  of  tender 


The  Assault  on  San  Lazaro  395 

pity  as  he  answered,  and  even  Gibbs  forgot  his 
stubborn  anger  as  he  glanced  at  his  gigantic  com 
rade  standing,  fully  uniformed  and  equipped,  and 
ready  to  report,  at  the  adjutant's  quarters,  the  num 
ber  of  men  available  for  the  coming  battle.  "There 
is  no  sure  reward  for  well  doing,  dear  boy,  on  this 
side  of  the  grave,  except  the  favor  of  God  as  felt 
in  the  heart  and  the  approval  of  one's  own  con 
science.  I  have  longed,  even  to  bloodthirstiness,  to 
blot  out  the  insult  and  tyranny  that  I  have  seen,  but 
I  have  borne  thus  far  unto  the  end.  Perhaps  to 
morrow  will  set  me  free  from  all  earthly  bonds,  and 
leave  you  still  in  life  to  do  and  suffer  longer.  Then, 
when  you  bury  me  under  the  cocoas,  remember  my 
last  counsel  and  go  back  to  your  homes,  proud  in 
the  remembrance  that  you  bore  even  neglect  and  in 
sult  in  the  service  of  the  king." 

A  single  bugle  broke  the  stillness,  and  as  its 
clarion  call  died  away  amid  the  hills  to  the  south 
ward,  the  tall  sergeant  joined  at  the  head  of  the 
street  his  brother  orderlies,  who,  facing  to  the  right, 
marched  to  the  adjutant's  quarters  to  give  in  their 
report  of  the  men  detailed  for  the  morrow's  duty. 

When  he  returned  to  his  men,  Stephen's  step  was 
lighter,  but  the  abstracted  gaze  and  evident  diffi 
culty  with  which  he  spoke  cheerily  to  his  men  im 
pressed  all  his  comrades,  and  especially  an  old 
Scotchman,  who,  in  virtue  of  a  slight  lameness  oc 
casioned  by  an  unhealed  wound,  was  as  yet  off  duty, 
and  privileged  to  wander  about  the  camp. 

"He's  a  gallant  chiel'  an'  braw,"  said  he,  as  at  last 
Hay  withdrew  to  his  own  quarters;  "but  ye'll  ne'er 


396  Cartagena 


see  him  again  after  to-morrow's  onslaught,  and  well 
he  knows  it,  poor  fellow!" 

"Oh,  nonsense!"  said  Jones,  uneasily;  "you  Scotch 
are  always  prophesyin'  evil,  an',  for  men  thet  fight 
well,  are  the  saddest  chaps  ever  I  met  with." 

"Had  ye  seen  as  mony  stout  swordsmen  grow  sad 
an'  strangely  quiet  before  their  last  fray  as  I  ha'e," 
said  the  Scot,  solemnly,  "ye  wadna  lauch  when  ye 
see  sae  strang  and  blithe  a  man  distraught  in  spite 
o'  himse'F.  I  wad  wage  the  little  I  ha'e,  that  yon 
sergeant  is  not  here  to  call  the  roll  o'  his  men  to 
morrow  eve." 

"That  may  be,"  said  Untequit  quietly,  looking 
up  from  his  work  of  adding  to  the  significant  rows 
of  studs  on  the  breech  of  his  musket;  "but,  though 
we  all  perish,  he  will  still  see  his  home  and  friends 
again." 

"An'  what  gars  ye  believe  that,  mon,"  asked  the 
Scot  half  angrily.  "Surely  he  wras  nae  sae  wicked  as 
to  seek  forbidden  knowledge,  nor  sae  foolish  as  to 
trust  to  the  words  of  some  auld  spae  wife." 

"The  traditions  of  your  fathers  tell  of  death  and 
misfortune  foretold  by  the  shadow  of  events  still 
to  come ;  there  are  those  among  my  people  who  can 
see  farther,  and  tell  of  both  good  and  evil,  and  I  set 
against  your  belief  of  evil  the  sayings  of  one  whose 
words  have  never  yet  failed  me."  And  so  saying, 
the  Indian  arose  and  followed  his  comrade  to  his 
tent. 

"  'Tis  waef u'  to  see  how  thae  Indians  are  left  to 
blindness  an'  idolatry,"  said  the  old  Scot,  raising 
both  hands  in  holy  horror.  "  'Tis  ternptin'  Provi- 


The  Assault  on  San  Lazaro  397 

dence,  I  doubt,  to  seek  the  awfu'  future,  an-  I 
doubtna  that  your  sergeant,  bein',  as  one  may  say, 
in  the  very  shadow  o'  death,  is  sair  sorry  that  he 
trusted  to  an  Indian  powwow  or  an  auld  witch- wife; 
forgettin'  that  the  future  is  only  knawn  to  One 
abune  a'." 

"Why,  I  reckon/'  said  Gibbs,  a  little  impatiently, 
"thet  you  fust  began  this  prophesyin'  an'  foretellin'; 
altho',  if  all  tales  are  true,  I'd  ruther  trust  to  old 
Molly  Pognet's  sayin's  then  to  you.  But,  es  you're 
not  going  to  fight,  yourself,  to-morrow,  suppose  you 
leave  off  these  old  world  sayin's,  thet  only  frighten 
those  who  must  drive  the  Spaniards  out  o'  yonder 
fort  to-morrow." 

"Dinna  think,  mon,"  said  the  old  man  earnestly, 
as  he  rose  to  depart,  "that  I'd  be  other  than  gay  and 
gleg  to  see  your  sergeant  come  back  hale  and  weel, 
aye,  an'  wi'  his  chevrons  changed  to  gowden 
shouther  knots ;  but  I've  seen  mony  a  brave  comrade 
seem  thus  before  his  last  battle.  But  ye're  weel 
richt  anent  such  speech  before  young  soldiers.  So 
go  bravely  *  lads,  to  your  wark,  an'  leave  the  rest  to 
God,  who  can  kill  an'  keep  alive." 

As  Untequit  entered  the  tent,  Hay  was  busy 
writing  some  letters,  which,  having  sealed,  he  placed 
with  the  company  papers  in  his  orderly  book,  which 
he  packed  away  in  his  knapsack,  and,  while  doing 
so,  came  across  the  stiletto  found  on  the  person  of 
the  assassinated  officer  on  the  night  of  the  landing 
at  Boca  Chica.  The  thought  struck  him  that,  were 
the  attack  successful,  he  might  have  an  opportunity 
to  see  Don  Olivarez  once  more;  and,  securing  the 


398  Cartagena 


money  belt  about  his  person,  lie  placed  the  tiny 
weapon  under  the  leathern  flap  of  his  cartridge  box. 
He  next  cleaned  and  loaded  the  pistols  worn  by  the 
same  unfortunate  gentleman,  and,  throwing  himself 
upon  his  bed  of  plaited  husks,  was  soon  fast  asleep. 

At  half  an  hour  after  mignight  the  adjutant  was 
heard  at  the  tent  door,  calling  each  sergeant  to 
awaken  his  men  and  have  them  in  line  at  one  o'clock. 
The  company  cooks  had  been  up  all  night,  and  Hay 
saw  that  every  man  had  an  ample  meal,  and  that 
haversack  and  canteen  were  as  well  furnished  as 
the  cartridge  boxes  of  his  men.  These,  indeed,  for 
the  most  part  were  furnished  only  with  ammunition, 
that,  after  placing  the  ladders,  etc.,  provided  for  the 
forlorn  hope,  they  might  avail  themselves  of  the 
muskets  of  those  killed  and  wounded  in  the  ditch  of 
the  castle. 

At  the  appointed  hour  the  regiments  were  in  place, 
but  the  word  was  not  given  to  advance;  and  the 
men,  after  standing  an  hour  or  more  in  line,  were 
allowed  to  throw  themselves  down  and  snatch  what 
repose  they  could  until  the  ill-digested  plan  of  attack 
should  be  carried  out.  Untequit,  whose  services  as 
a  kind  of  independent  scout  had  excused  him  from 
the  present  duty,  made  his  appearance,  with  his  long 
Spanish  gun,  and  a  sharp  axe  slung  at  his  back ;  and 
at  Woodside's  order,  Gibbs  and  Jones  laid  aside  their 
burdens  and  similarly  furnished  themselves'. 

At  last  the  moon  wrent  down,  the  darkness  and 
white  mists  left  everything  sombre  and  in  shadow, 
and  ghost-like  in  the  open  ground,  into  which  Colonel 
Grant  led  his  forlorn  hope  of  grenadiers,  guided  by 


The  Assault  on  San  Lazaro  390 

Carlos,  the  Catalan,  and  followed  by  the  Massachu 
setts  men  detailed  to  carry  their  grenades  and  scal 
ing  ladders. 

"We  take  the  centre,"  said  Woodside,  under  his 
breath,  "and  when  our  ladders  are  placed  we  are  at 
liberty  to  fight  as  best  we  can.  On  the  right  there 
is  a  wooden  gate ;  follow  me,  and  we  will  try  to  cut 
a  way  in  with  axes,  while  the  rest  of  our  men  keep 
up  a  fire  through  the  gratings." 

Hay  passed  the  word  along  the  leading  files,  and 
as  he  did  so  the  morose  expression  of  those  who 
deemed  themselves  degraded  by  the  servile  duties 
so  persistently  assigned  to  them,  was  replaced  by 
eager  interest  and  assured  confidence,  and  despite 
their  burdens  they  kept  close  at  the  heels  of  the 
light-armed  forlorn  hope  and  reserves,  who  pressed 
on  readily  enough  through  the  wet  herbage  and  dew- 
laden  cocoa  orchards,  until  only  the  open  ground  ex 
posed  to  the  fire  of  San  Lazaro  lay  before  them. 

The  east  was  scarcely  tinged  with  the  faint  rose 
tint  of  coming  day,  but  Stephen  said  hurriedly  to 
his  captain,  as  the  regulars  brought  their  bayonets 
to  the  charge :  "We  are  on  the  left  of  the  fort,  and 
the  other  column  must  be  a  long  way  behind  us. 
Those  Spaniards  are  not  to  be  trusted,  and  I  fear — " 

As  he  spoke  the  order  to  charge  rang  out  in  the 
advance,  and  with  a  ringing  cheer  the  grenadiers 
dashed  for  the  fort  still  a  hundred  yards  away. 
Their  line  was  beautifully  correct,  and,  despite  the 
irregularities  of  the  ground,  the  levelled  bayonets 
presented  a  regular  and  moving  mass  of  steel,  whose 
impetus  threatened  inevitable  destruction  to  any 
merely  human  obstacle. 


400  Cartagena 


"  'Tis  gallantly  but  foolishly  done,"  cried  Wood- 
side.  "But  on  with  the  ladders,  boys,  and  leave  the 
grenades  with  the  grenadiers  whenever  they  halt." 

With  a  terrific  crash,  San  Lazaro,  a  rectangular 
work  with  three  demi  bastions  and  mounting 
twenty-five  guns,  opened  with  grape  on  the  assault 
ing  column,  and  three  smaller  works  on  either  flank 
and  in  front  poured  in  a  withering  fire  of  musketry 
and  mitraille,  which  cut  great  gaps  in  the  ranks  of 
the  grenadiers  and  found  occasional  victims  in  the 
reserves  and  pioneers  behind  them. 

Following  the  tactics  which  had  cleared  the  defile 
of  La  Quinta,  and  which  a  generation  later  cost  the 
English  their  heavy  losses  at  Bunker  Hill,  the  lead 
ing  platoons  delivered  their  fire,  wheeling  to  right 
and  left  to  allow  the  rearward  men  to  do  the  same, 
and  closing  in  behind,  ever  advancing  under  cover 
of  the  smoke  of  their  own  crashing  volleys.  But 
their  bullets  were  wasted  mainly  on  inanimate  turf 
and  stone,  and,  under  the  fire  of  the  works  and  the 
round  shot  and  shell  from  the  flanking  ramparts  of 
Cartagena  and  the  island  suburb  of  Xexemani,  the 
ranks  were  wasted  as  if  by  pestilence,  and  many  a 
tall  grenadier  and  gallant  officer  marked  with  a 
crimson  heap  the  fatal  quarter  of  a  mile  which  lay 
between  San  Lazaro  and  the  cocoa  orchards,  now 
blasted,  shorn  and  riven  by  the  artillery  fire  of  un- 
conquered  Cartagena. 

Nevertheless,  the  troops  swept  over  the  nearer 
outworks,  and  Col.  Grant,  as  he  sprang  over  the  low 
parapet  and  captured  cannon,  found  himself  in  the 
death  trap  into  which  he  had  been  led  by  the  Cata- 


The  Assault  on  San  Lazaro  401 

Ian,  who,  regardless  of  danger,  rushed  on  with  sword 
and  pistol  in  hand  close  beside.  The  traitor  saw 
the  danger  in  his  menacing  eye  and  uplifted  sword, 
and,  with  a  quick  glance  around  him,  shot  the  hap 
less  officer  down  and  made  a  spring  toward  the  cover 
of  the  ditch,  now  dry  and  defended  only  by  its  rows 
of  pointed  palisades;  but  a  bullet  from  the  castle 
pierced  him,  and  he  fell  almost  across  his  victim. 
The  grenadiers,  cheering  and  firing,  came  on  despite 
their  losses  and  pressed  into  the  outworks,  but 
leaderless  and  huddled  together,  recoiled  from  the 
deep  ditch  with  its  barbed  palisades,  and  fired 
rapidly,  but  uselessly,  on  the  Spaniards,  who,  with 
little  loss  to  themselves,  rested  their  trabucos,  esco- 
pettes  and  muskets  across  the  parapet  and  shot  their 
antagonists  down  like  wolves  in  a  pitfall. 

The  Americans  surged  up  against  their  rear  with 
the  ladders,  wrool-packs  and  fascines,  but  no  leader 
was  left  to  direct;  and  though  Woodside  moved 
round  on  the  flank  to  the  front,  and  attempted  to 
fill  in  the  ditch  and  raise  the  ladders,  the  latter  were 
found  to  be  too  short,  and  Woodside  led  his  men  to 
the  postern  door.  These,  driving  that  part  of  the 
garrison  in  sight  to  cover  with  deliberate  aim,  kept 
up  under  shelter  of  the  wall  a  rapid  file-firing,  while 
Hay,  Gibbs  and  Jones  rained  on  the  ironwood  tim-. 
bers  a  shower  of  blows,  which  on  oak  or  teak  had 
speedily  made  way  for  the  besiegers.  But  the  Span 
ish  engineer  who  had  built  the  place  knew  well  the 
enduring  qualities  of  the  wood  he  had  chosen,  whose 
hewing  had  dulled  many  keen  axes,  and  sent  their 
steel  flying  into  shreds  as  if  but  brittle  glass.  Jones, 


402  Cartagena 


after  a  few  blows,  felt  his  arm  jarred  to  the  shoul 
der,  and  threw  his  edgeless  weapon  away,  with 
an  imprecation  which,  in  the  imminence  of  the  peril, 
showed  how  overpowering  was  the  fierce  lust  of 
battle,  in  one,  whose  bitterest  objurgation  in  peace 
would  have  sounded  ridiculously  innocent  to  an 
English  lady  of  fashion. 

Gibbs  had  cut  nearly  through  the  main  brace,  hold 
ing  the  bolts  and  bars,  when  his  axe,  hopelessly 
dulled,  fell  from  his  hands  useless;  and  soon  the 
colonists  found  themselves  standing  before  the  im 
penetrable  barrier,  keeping  off  an  overwhelming 
crowd  of  the  besieged,  only  by  the  deliberate  and 
deadly  marksmanship  wrhich  pierced  every  head  and 
limb  which  showed  itself  at  practicable  range. 

Untequit  stood  by  the  gate,  firing  as  fast  as  Jones 
could  reload,  but  found  time  between  his  quick,  keen 
glances  and  snapshots  to  catch  his  comrade's  eye, 
and  wave  his  hand  toward  a  heavy  timber  which  lay 
beside  the  road,  some  distance  from  the  wralls. 

"We  can  burst  the  gate  open,  I  think,"  he  cried, 
and  Woodside  with  a  bound  led  the  way  wTith  twenty 
men  toward  the  extemporaneous  battering-ram, 
while  the  few  left  behind  poured  in  a  hotter  fire  to 
cover  the  desperate  undertaking. 

The  huge  log  was  lifted  as  if  it  had  been  a  slender 
pole,  and  poised  on  the  brawny  shoulders  of  the 
men,  and  with  a  frantic  cheer,  headed  by  Stephen 
and  Gibbs,  who  took  the  heavier  end,  the  devoted 
band  charged  the  gate,  towards  which  an  hundred 
maddened  Spaniards  rushed,  screaming,  swearing 
and  firing  as  they  ran. 


The  Assault  on  San  Lazaro  403 

Gibbs  put  his  hand  to  his  side  and  bit  his  lip  sav 
agely,  while  a  deathly  hue  replaced  the  ruddy  bronze 
of  his  weather-beaten  cheek,  but  he  pushed  on  un 
falteringly,  and  Stephen,  bleeding  from  two  or  three 
slight  wounds,  his  hat  shot  away  and  his  clothes 
torn  by  bullets,  hoped,  though  the  seconds  seemed 
ages,  that  the  human  bolt  might  fulfil  its  task.  Less 
than  six  feet  remained  to  be  achieved.  Gibbs  al 
ready  had  gathered  his  breath  for  a  final  effort,  and 
Untequit  and  his  brother  marksmen  had  poured 
their  last  volley  into  the  faces  of  the  maddened  Span 
iards,  when  a  shot  from  Xexemani  struck  the  timber 
obliquely  and  dashed  it  to  the  ground,  with  the 
mangled  bodies  of  half  a  score  of  those  who  bore  it. 

Woodside  gazed  for  a  moment  on  the  mangled  and 
writhing  heap  of  what  had  an  instant  before  been 
his  gallant  obedient  followers,  and  with  a  cry  of 
utter  misery  and  dismay  motioned  to  his  men  to 
retreat,  for  not  two  hundred  yards  away  a  sortie 
from  the  city  threatened  to  cut  off  their  retreat. 
Untequit  would  have  remained,  but  Woodside 
pointed  silently  to  the  yellow  curls  of  the  sergeant, 
and  he  saw  that  only  an  unrecognizable  mass  of 
blood  and  brains  was  left  where  the  manly  features 
and  great  bright  eyes  had  once  beamed  upon  him  in 
life;  and  with  hearts  full  of  despair,  grief  and  ven 
geance  they  hastened  to  bring  up  the  rear  of  the 
defeated  grenadiers,  leaving  nearly  a  thousand  brave 
men  behind  them  on  the  fatal  field  of  San  Lazaro. 


Chapter  XXVIII. 

After   the   Battle 

Whatever  may  be  thought  of  the  wisdom  that  dic 
tated  the  fatal  assault,  no  one  can  doubt  that  the 
part  played  therein  by  Admiral  Vernon  was,  to  say 
the  least,  an  unworthy  if  not  a  cowardly  and  das 
tardly  one,  for  although  his  ships  lay  so  near  that 
a  mortar  battery  was  being  constructed  by  the  crew 
of  the  Weymouth  only  2,000  yards  from  San  Lazaro ; 
although  it  would  seem  that  his  boats  were  in  the 
water,  and  manned  for  some  movement  during  the 
progress  of  the  attack,  there  is  no  evidence  that  a 
single  seaman  co-operated  with  the  army  in  this 
movement  on  the  principal  defence  of  the  invested 
city. 

F:  was  only  after  repeated  solicitations  and  covert 
taunts  on  the  part  of  Lord  Vernon,  that  General 
Wentworth  had  struck  his  blow  with  nearly  his 
whole  available  force,  and  the  garrison  of  San  Lo- 
zaro,  with  the  troops  which  during  the  fight  issued 
from  the  city,  outnumbered  the  assaulting  force,  of 
whose  gallant  bravery  and  useless  heroism  their 
terrible  losses  are  the  best  evidence. 

It  had  also  been  determined  in  a  general  council 
of  war,  that  the  losses  by  sickness,  the  imminence 
of  the  rainy  season,  and  the  terrible  mortality  which 
must  follow  upon  a  prolonged  siege,  forbade  the  em 
ployment  of  such  means  as  had  secured  the  capture 
of  the  heavier  outer  defences  of  Cartagena,  and 


After  the  Battle  405 

having  determined  on  so  desperate  and  dangerous 
an  expedient,  one  can  hardly  find  words  to  charac 
terize  the  terrible  criminality  or  incapacity  of  the 
admiral,  who  saw  from  his  quarter  deck  the  defeat 
of  Gen.  Guise's  column,  and  never  tried  to  create  a 
diversion  or  reinforce  his  countrymen. 

A  strange  story  a  few  days  later  came  from  one 
of  the  crew  of  the  admiral's  ship,  and  was  carried 
on  the  wings  of  rumor  to  Europe  and  America,  cre 
ating  alternate  emotions  of  triumph  and  suspicion, 
joy  and  indignation  in  the  coffee  houses  of  London 
and  the  homes  of  the  New  World. 

Close  on  the  heels  of  the  news  of  the  fatal  repulse 
and  lost  battle  came  the  rumor ;  a  story  that  is  hard 
to  prove,  but  is  far  from  unlikely  in  the  light  of  what 
the  meagre  history  and  limited  documentary  re 
mains  of  the  expedition  have  recorded. 

It  was  said  that  a  day  or  two  after  the  fight,  a  flag 
of  truce,  sent  out  by  the  viceroy  of  the  city,  invited 
Admiral  Vernon  and  General  Wentworth  to  dine 
with  him  at  a  pavilion  half  way  between  the  lines; 
that  at  this  entertainment  every  luxury  procurable 
under  the  circumstances  was  provided,  and  that  the 
best  of  feeling  and  the  utmost  courtesy  was  shown 
by  the  English  and  Spanish  officers  toward  each 
other. 

Several  of  the  former,  who  expressed  a  wish  to 
enter  Cartagena,  were  allowed  to  go  under  a  guard, 
and  brought  back  pleasant  reminiscences  of  its  nar 
row,  but  clean  and  well-paved  streets,  small,  snow- 
white,  well-furnished  houses,  and  above  all  of  the 
finished  courtesies  of  its  people,  who,  despite  the 


406  Cartagena 


griefs  and  sufferings  of  the  siege,  forgot  not  the 
lofty  courtesy  and  free  hospitality  of  the  Spaniard. 
In  later  days,  too,  some  told  of  the  strength  of  the 
walls  and  the  lofty  gate,  over  which  stood  the  proud 
blazon  of  the  city,  "The  Defiance  of  the  World." 

And  while  these  rambled  through  the  city,  it  was 
said  that  their  superiors  arranged  for  the  ransom 
of  the  town,  and  that  at  last,  when  the  young  officers 
had  come  back,  flushed  and  pleased  with  the  courte 
sies  shown  them,  Don  Sebastian  de  Eslava  and  Ad 
miral  Vernon  parted,  with  many  expressions  of 
lofty  courtesy,  and  deep  regret  that  duty  demanded 
that  they  should  henceforth  meet  as  enemies,  etc., 
etc.  Then  the  viceroy  went  back  to  his  forts,  the 
admiral  to  his  ships  and  General  Wentworth  to  his 
camp,  where  death  hovered  over  every  tent  and 
gloom  and  the  depression  of  defeat  brooded  in  every 
heart,  while  out  beyond  the  cocoa  trees  lay  still  un- 
buried  many  of  the  brave  men  who  had  fallen  a  few 
hours  before  under  the  fire  of  Lan  Lazaro. 

And  the  story  wrent  on  to  tell  how,  under  cover 
of  night,  strange  boats  came  alongside  the  flagship 
of  the  admiral  and  Lestock's  war-ship,  the  Burf ord, 
with  certain  treasure  chests,  heavy  and  banded  with 
iron,  which  were  at  once  safely  deposited  in  the  great 
cabins  of  the  admiral  and  commodore. 

Then  went  forth  the  rumor  that  Cartagena  had 
been  ransomed  for  nine  millions  of  pounds  sterling, 
which  was  published  again  and  again  in  the  news 
papers  of  both  hemispheres;  but  it  died  out  in  the 
face  of  the  news,  which  fell  with  crushing  force  on 
the  tax  payers  of  England  and  the  friends  of  the 
ill-fated  brigade  of  colonial  volunteers. 


After  the  Battle  407 

History  has  not  touched  upon  this  rumor,  but  the 
following  facts  in  connection  with  the  well-known 
corruption  which  everywhere  pervaded  the  politics 
of  that  era,  go  far  to  raise  a  well-grounded  suspi 
cion  that  Admiral  Vernon  and  his  colleagues  had 
good  reasons  for  not  taking  Cartagena. 

For  with  the  exception  of  the  construction  of  a 
small  earthwork  mounted  with  a  few  light  cannon, 
and  the  emplacement  of  a  mortar  battery,  at  too 
great  a  distance  to  do  any  material  harm  to  the  be 
sieged,  nothing  farther  was  done  of  moment  during 
the  rest  of  the  siege,  if  we  except  the  guerrilla  war 
fare  carried  on  between  the  scouts  and  rangers  of 
the  land  forces  and  the  Spanish  irregular  troops. 

Untequit,  in  pursuance  of  his  plan  of  Indian  war 
fare,  and  rendered  even  more  desperate  by  the  loss 
of  his  comrade  and  friend,  issued  each  day  from  the 
camp,  intent  only  on  sacrificing  to  the  shade  of  his 
lost  friend  as  many  Spaniards  as  he  could  bring 
under  his  terrible  aim. 

Lightly  armed  and  more  lightly  clad,  he  scoured 
the  wooded  plains,  searched  the  tangled  chapparal, 
and,  penetrating  even  into  the  island  fastnesses  of 
the  Ciegna  des  Tescas,  left  behind  him  everywhere 
the  dead  and  wounded  who  had  received  the  bullets 
of  his  Spanish  weapon. 

More  than  once  he  scrupled  not  to  attack  small 
parties  resting  by  their  bivouac  fire,  or  threaded 
narrow  paths  overhung  by  precipitous  cliffs,  or  bor 
dered  by  shrubbery  so  intricate  that  only  a  bullet 
could  find  way  through  the  abbatis  of  tangled  thorn 
and  knotted  lianas. 


408  Cartagena 


To  fire  with  deadly  aim,  to  load  with  wonderful 
celerity,  to  keep  up  the  deadly  fusilade  with  delib 
eration  which  bordered  on  recklessness,  and  then  to 
retreat  so  stealthily  and  noiselessly  that  only  a 
blood-hound  could  have  followed  him,  seemed  but 
boys'  play  to  the  lithe,  active  and  vengeful  partisan, 
and  when  at  eve  the  Indian  returned  to  his  quarters 
he  sat  down  silently  to  his  task  of  recording  the 
number  of  the  day's  victims.  He  had  emptied  his 
own  cartridge-box,  and  fired  several  muskets  that 
had  fallen  undischarged  from  the  hands  of  his  com 
rades  at  San  Lazaro,  but  he  steadfastly  refused  to 
inlay  more  than  six  silver  studs  as  the  record  of  that 
day's  bloody  work.  "I  am  no  boaster,"  he  said  to 
his  comrades,  aand  my  tongue  shall  not  lie.  Six 
times  I  drew  bead  on  a  man  and  saw  him  fall  but 
of  the  other  shots  I  am  not  sure,  for  others  fired 
besides  me." 

Each  day  thereafter  he  added  several  to  the  score, 
until  twenty-five  bright  spots  amid  the  intricate  in 
laying  of  the  Spanish  artist,  told  a  tale  more  sig 
nificant  than  the  delicate  arabesques  and  figures 
of  bird  and  beast  among  them,  and  among  the  out 
lying  Spaniards,  strange  tales  were  told  of  his  prow 
ess,  and  twenty  miles  away  the  armed  men  who 
guarded  the  country  paths,  trembled  at  every  rustle 
of  the  leaves,  or  sough  of  the  wind-vexed  branches. 
To-day  El  Demonio  Americano,  as  he  was  called,  had 
slain  his  man  close  to  the  outposts  of  the  Grand 
Guard,  and  a  picket  on  the  narrow  isthmus  between 
the  great  lagoon  and  the  sea  had  been  found  life 
less,  struck  dead  with  the  half-finished  cigarito  be- 


After  the  Battle  409 

tween  his  livid  lips;  to-morrow,  a  despatch  party, 
many  leagues  to  the  southeast,  had  lost  three  men 
out  of  five,  the  others  only  escaping  by  flight,  and 
had  the  siege  continued,  and  such  rangers  as  could 
have  aided  him  been  selected  for  the  task,  the  woods 
had  soon  been  cleared  of  all  the  guerrilleros  of  the 
province. 

But  on  the  15th  of  April  the  engineers  were  seen 
commencing  to  remove  and  embark  their  cannon, 
and  it  was  soon  noised  abroad  through  the  camp 
that  the  troops  were  at  once  to  follow,  but  Untequit, 
still  eager  for  Spanish  blood,  essayed  to  go  forth 
as  usual,  despite  the  remonstrances  of  Woodside, 
who  pointed  out  to  him  the  uselessness  of  farther 
bloodshed  and  the  increased  number  of  Span 
iards,  who,  on  seeing  the  preparations  for  retreat, 
would  undoubtedly  issue  from  the  city  walls  in 
heavier  numbers,  and  probably  attack  the  rear 
guard. 

"I  must  go,"  said  the  Indian,  with  intense  feeling. 
"They  should  pay  a  life  for  every  hair  of  his  head, 
had  I  time  to  hunt  those  Spanish  dogs  to  the  death. 
It  is  the  last  day,  and  I  will  return  as  before,  for 
when  I  go  back  to  the  old  father  and  mother  at 
Ploughed  Neck,  they  will  ask  for  their  son,  and  I 
can  only  show  them  these  studs  which  show  how 
many  warriors  I  have  sent  after  him  on  the  long 
pathway  he  has  trodden  before  them." 

He  was  allowed  to  go,  and  sternly,  silently  and 
stealthily  hastened  to  seek  the  cover  of  the  woods 
between  La  Popa  and  the  Spanish  lines.  There  was 
no  lack  of  enemies,  but  the  cover  was  open,  and  the 


410  Cartagena 


garrison  of  the  convent  fortress  late  in  the  day 
having  been  withdrawn,  the  Indian  soon  found  him 
self  almost  flanked  by  two  small  parties  of  the 
enemy,  while  a  third  of  larger  numbers  was  advanc 
ing  full  upon  the  point  where  he  was  lying  in  am 
bush. 

The  scout  upon  his  left  wras  led  by  the  guerrilla 
whom  he  had  taken  prisoner  on  his  first  scout ;  who 
had  helped  to  lead  astray  one  of  the  attacking 
columns  at  the  assault,  and  speedily  weighing  the 
chances  Untequit  took  deliberate  aim  at  this  man 
and  fired. 

The  treacherous  guerrilla  leaped  into  the  air,  and 
shot  through  the  brain,  fell  dead  at  the  feet  of  Don 
Ramon,  who  had  charge  of  the  reconnoisance,  while 
Untequit,  bursting  from  his  cover,  fled  toward  the 
cocoa  orchard  held  by  the  picket  guard,  under  a  fire 
so  heavy  that  those  who  saw  it  deemed  that  he  must 
indeed  bear  a  charmed  life. 

Even  as  he  ran,  he  emptied  a  cartridge  into  his 
musket,  dropped  a  ball,  chosen  from  several  carried 
in  his  mouth,  down  the  long  barrel,  struck  the  butt 
sharply  upon  the  ground  to  shake  the  priming  into 
the  shut  pan,  and  turned,  with  his  gun  at  the 
"ready,"  to  take  a  last  shot  at  his  hated  pursuers. 

"A  thousand  devils!"  cried  Don  Ramon,  as  he  saw 
the  Indian  almost  out  of  range;  and,  snatching  a 
musket  from  the  nearest  man,  he  levelled  it  and  fired. 

Untequit's  weapon  was  poised  in  the  air,  held  by 
both  hands  at  the  trigger  guard  and  the  breech, 
just  in  the  position  which  in  an  instant  more  would 
have  settled  into  a  deadly  aim;  but  at  the  crack  of 


After  the  Battle  411 


the  officer's  musket,  the  well-tried  trophy  of  so  many 
fatal  recontres  was  discharged  harmlessly  in  the 
air,  and  fell  at  the  feet  of  the  Indian,  who,  with  a 
last  glance  of  defiance  at  the  foes  he  could  no  longer 
harm,  bounded  away  toward  the  shelter  of  the  camp. 

He  presented  himself  half  an  hour  later  at  the  sur 
geon's  quarters,  with  both  wrists  cruelly  cut  across 
by  a  ball  which  had  creased  the  muscles  of  the  right 
and  broken  the  small  bone  of  the  left  arm  close  to 
its  junction. 

His  story  had  been  bruited  throughout  the  camp, 
and  not  only  were  his  wounds  dressed  and  tended 
with  unusual  care,  but  a  purse  was  made  up  for  his 
benefit  among  the  officers,  and  after  the  embarka 
tion  he  was  received  as  servant  to  the  officers'  mess 
of  a  man-of-war,  which  some  months  later  landed 
him  safely  on  the  "Long  Wharf"  at  Boston. 

But  the  siege  was  over,  and  only  a  singular  epi 
sode  in  naval  warfare  remains  to  be  chronicled  in 
this  connection,  an  experiment  from  which  no  good 
results  could  have  been  expected  and  which,  from  the 
dispatches  of  Lord  Vernon,  wrho  claims  the  paternity 
of  the  ill-devised  project,  was  evidently  determined 
upon  with  a  view  of  "shutting  the  mouths  of  gain- 
sayers";  who  he  evidently  feared,  and  not  without 
reason,  would  severely  criticise  the  strange  inaction 
of  the  fleet  during  the  latter  part  of  the  siege. 

Therefore,  while  the  sick  and  wounded  are  being 
transferred  to  the  crowded  hospital  ships,  where 
inhumanity,  official  imbecility,  and  want  of  attend 
ance,  food  and  pure  air  make  strong  the  grasp  of 
death  and  add  discomfort  and  melancholy  to  the 


412  Cartagena 


torture  of  pain,  let  us  note  the  last  act  of  the  tragic 
comedy  which  was  to  cheat  English  justice  and  out 
rage  public  opinion  of  the  punishment  of  the  great 
criminal,  who,  as  admiral  of  one  of  England's  great 
est  armadas,  had  wasted  human  life  like  water  and 
fallen  short  of  success  by  criminal  dereliction  of 
duty,  or  perhaps  a  blacker  crime. 


Chapter  XXIX. 
The  Sinking  of  the  Gallicia 

Admiral  Vernon,  in  spite  of  his  apparent  belief 
in  the  power  of  the  small  land  force  to  finish  the 
siege,  was  nevertheless  ill  at  ease  when  he  contem 
plated  the  possibility  of  a  parliamentary  inquiry  into 
the  causes  of  the  failure  of  an  expedition  so  power 
ful  and  well  equipped,  and  from  which  so  much  had 
been  expected.  It  is  evident  from  the  correspon 
dence  which  passed  between  him  and  the  officers  of 
the  land  force,  that  great  efforts  were  made  to  induce 
the  admiral  to  concentrate  the  fire  of  as  many  ships 
as  possible  On  the  inner  forts  and  walls  of  the 
besieged  city,  and  thereby  drive  the  garrison  to  their 
bombproof s  and  the  inhabitants  into  a  capitulation. 
To  prove  that  this  action  could  not  be  profitably 
undertaken  he  resorted  to  a  device,  which  to  his 
mind  justified  his  own  prudence,  and  the  extraor 
dinary  inaction  of  his  ships  during  the  latter  part 
of  the  siege. 

The  flagship  of  Don  Bias  de  Lezo,  the  Spanish 
admiral,  saved  from  the  general  conflagration  at 
Boca  Chica,  was  brought  up  the  lagoon  on  the  5th 
of  April,  and  sixty  carpenters  were  at  once  detailed 
to  convert  her  into  a  floating  battery  of  a  novel 
kind,  and  one  which  did  considerable  credit  to  the 
inventive  genius  of  Vernon,  compared  with  the  con 
servative  spirit  of  the  naval  commanders  of  that  era. 

Her  battery  was  reduced  to  sixteen  thirty-twos, 


414  Cartagena 


all  on  one  side,  and  between  each  gun  a  merlon  or 
bulkhead  of  heavy  planking  and  timbers,  six  feet 
thick,  was  constructed  and  filled  in  w7ith  sand  and 
earth,  packed  as  closely  as  possible,  forming  a  float 
ing  earthwork  of  considerable  defensive  strength. 
Captain  Hoare,  an  officer  of  considerable  skill 'and 
courage,  and  nearly  twro  hundred  men,  were  detailed 
to  give  battle  to  the  whole  of  the  remaining  harbor 
defences  of  Cartagena. 

On  the  night  of  the  15th  the  vessel  was  towed  into 
position  and  moored  by  anchors  carried  out  by  the 
boats  of  the  squadron,  and  planted,  as  the  admiral 
averred,  as  far  up  on  the  shoals  as  possible.  But, 
as  will  be  seen  further  on,  the  Gallicia,  though  so 
heavily  weighted  down  by  her  armor,  was  far  from 
being  aground  at  the  beginning  of  the  action. 

In  the  darkness  of  the  early  morning  the  moorings 
were  hove  taut  at  bow  and  stern,  and  the  brave  crew 
lying  beside  their  guns  awaited  only  the  dawn  of 
day;  and  at  about  five  o'clock  the  first" heavy  broad 
side,  aimed  at  the  barbette  guns  of  the  city  Vail,  fell 
amid  the  wondering  Spaniards  or  flew  over  the 
works,  to  carry  destruction  and  death  into  the  in 
habited  parts  of  the  city. 

The  cannon  of  three  bastions,  a  formidable  half- 
moon  covering  the  long  curtain  of  the  city  wall,  and 
a  ravelin,  all  mounted  with  the  splendid  brass  Span 
ish  guns,  which  are  still  deemed  masterpieces  of  the 
founders'  art,  were  concentrated  on  this  single  ves 
sel,  whose  brave  men  kept  up  an  unfaltering  fire, 
although  the  splinters  flew  up  from  the  deck  on 
which  they  stood  and  down  from  that  above  them, 


The  Sinking  of  the  Gallicia  415 

wounding  them  by  scores;  for  no  defences  of  the 
lower  deck  or  bomb  proofing  above  them  had  been 
deemed  necessary  by  the  projector  of  the  enterprise. 

For  seven  hours  the  unequal  fight  went  on,  and 
the  fire  of  some  four  score  cannon,  manned  by  re 
newed  levies  of  fresh  men  from  the  garrison,  bored 
the  Gallicia  through  and  through  above  and  below 
her  water  line,  and  at  last  broke  through  their  weak 
defences,  scattering  mangling  splinters  and  blinding 
sand  among  the  hapless  gunners.  Still,  like  British 
mastiffs,  they  fought  on,  bleeding  and  half  suffocated 
with  the  smoke  of  their  own  fire  hurried  back  into 
the  ports  by  the  strong  land  breeze,  which  kept  the 
ship  the  length  of  her  cables  farther  from"  the 
city  than  the  position  intended  by  Lord  Vernon. 

At  length,  however,  the  sea  breeze  set  in,  and 
sweeping  the  heavy  smoke  toward  the  city,  showed 
to  the  idle  fleet  the  battery  still  flying  the  English 
flag  and  only  awaiting  the  clearing  of  the  sulphur 
ous  canopy  to  recommence  her  suspended  fire.  The 
signal  to  cut  the  cables  was  shown  from  the  Princess 
Caroline,  and  promptly  obeyed;  and  driving  on 
broadside  first  toward  the  shallows  and  the  tremen 
dous  works  beyond  them,  the  Gallicia  and  her  crew 
reopened  fire  and  defied  the  terrible  odds,  undi 
verted,  so  far  as  recorded,  by  any  diversion  or  attack 
by  the  rest  of  the  land  and  sea  forces.  An  hour  or 
two  later,  pierced  by  innumerable  shot,  twenty-two 
of  which  were  below  water-mark,  with  six  of  her  gal 
lant  crew  dead  and  fifty-six  wounded,  the  signal  of 
recall  was  given;  and  Captain  Hoare  and  his  men 
taking  to  their  boats  abandoned  an  enterprise  hope- 


416  Cartagena 


less  from  the  first,  because  unsustained  by  any  at 
tacking  force  to  hold  the  little  advantage  which 
might  have  been  gained  by  bombardment  with  so 
disproportionate  a  weight  of  metal,  and  unassisted 
by  the  crushing  fire  wrhich  should  and  could  have 
been  poured  in  by  the  fleet. 

On  the  same  day  the  army  re-embarked,  to  the 
unexpected  relief  and  unbounded  surprise  of  the 
harassed  Spaniards,  and  devoted  itself  to  the 
long  and  tedious  preparations  for  abandoning  and 
destroying  the  defences  already  reduced.  Over  two 
weeks  more  of  fever  and  inefficiency  did  their  work 
among  the  soldiers  and  sailors,  before  the  captured 
cannon  were  embarked  or  broken  up,  and  pick  and 
powder  had  crumbled  into  dust  the  strong  castles  of 
Castillo  Grande  and  Boca  Chica. 

On  the  seventh  of  May,  the  fleet,  having  rendez 
voused  at  Punta  Canoa,  set  sail  for  Jamaica,  having 
inflicted,  it  is  true,  great  damage  upon  the  Spanish 
city  and  fleet,  but  having  miserably  failed  in  the  com 
pletion  of  its  work  through  internal  dissensions, 
which  sapped  the  strength  and  brought  to  naught 
the  counsels  of  the  greatest  English  armada  ever 
fitted  out  for  the  New  World. 

The  losses  of  the  expedition  in  materiel  were  singu 
larly  small,  but  from  6,000  to  8,000  men  are  sup 
posed  to  have  died  in  battle,  and  from  the  fatal 
tropical  fevers  at  sea  and  in  the  harbors  of  Port 
Royal  and  Cartagena. 

The  Americans  suffered  least,  but  as  nearly  as 
can  be  estimated  nearly  two  thousand  of  the  four 
or  five  thousand  raised  perished,  and  the  disgrace- 


The  Sinking  of  the  Gallicia  417 

ful  treatment  they  received  and  the  servile  duties 
to  which  they  were  degraded  broke  the  spirits  of 
the  men,  and  undoubtedly  unfitted  them  for  the 
prosecution  of  the  farther  enterprises  attempted  by 
Lord  Vernon. 

The  story  of  the  misery  of  their  life  on  shipboard 
and  ashore;  the  record  of  their  degradation  to  the 
same  service  as  the  offscourings  of  the  slave  pens 
of  Jamaica;  the  singular  suspicions  of  their  loyalty 
to  the  Protestant  faith  and  the  British  crown,  which 
confined  more  than  half  of  the  force  during  the  en 
tire  siege  to  their  floating  hospitals,  the  so-called 
transports;  and  the  contemptuous  feeling  of  the 
British  service  shown  toward  everything  Colonial, 
may  be  gathered  from  the  writings  of  Smollett,  the 
correspondence  of  Admiral  Vernon,  and  the  pam 
phlets  which,  after  the  defeat  of  his  forces,  were 
laid  before  the  British  people. 

It  is  refreshing,  however,  here  and  there  to  see 
that  our  ancestors  were  brave,  useful  and  ingenious; 
to  learn  from  the  admiral's  own  letters  that  he 
would  have  found  it  hard  to  get  all  his  ships  to  sea 
"without  the  help  of  the  Americans,''  who,  unlike 
the  pipe-clayed  and  leather-stocked  British  soldiers, 
showed  themselves  to  be  artificers  and  seamen  of  no 
mean  merit;  and  to  discern  from  many  sources,  even 
where  the  spirit  of  invidious  blame  is  but  too  ap 
parent,  that  the  doomed  colonists  of  the  "Lost  Bri 
gade"  did  their  duty  like  men  and  died  bravely  and 
uncomplainingly,  the  victims  of  official  incompe- 
tency  and  English  ill  treatment,  added  to  the  inher 
ent  and  fatal  dangers  of  campaigning  under  the 
tropics. 


418  Cartagena 


Of  their  subsequent  fate  we  shall  speak  briefly 
hereafter,  but  must  now  turn  to  the  deserted  harbor 
of  Cartagena,  where,  amid  ruined  castles,  useless 
cannon  and  the  debris  of  a  destroyed  navy,  the  Span 
iards,  issuing  from  the  shattered  walls  of  the  "De 
fiance  of  the  World,"  rejoiced  in  their  deliverance, 
and  sought  eagerly  the  means  of  future  defense  and 
signal  vengeance  on  the  baffled  invader. 

Small  favor  for  many  years  thereafter  was  shown 
to  any  Englishman  falling  into  the  hands  of  the 
defenders  of  Cartagena,  and  the  Spanish  mariners 
sent  to  replace  the  fleet  destroyed  by  Lord  Vernon 
made  it  their  boast  that,  except  where  rich  booty 
could  be  acquired,  few  finglish  prisoners  escaped 
with  life  when  the  chance  of  war  went  against  them 
on  the  coast  of  the  Spanish  Main.  It  was  many 
years  thereafter  ere  an  Englishman  felt  himself  safe 
among  friends  within  the  walls  of  Cartagena. 


Chcapter  XXX. 
Death  iii  Life 

The  thunder  of  cannon,  the  crash  of  axes,  the 
rattle  of  musketry;  the  hoarse  cheers,  oaths,  curses 
and  screams  of  men  lost  in  the  madness  of  battle 
or  the  agony  of  mortal  pain;  the  alternations  of  de 
spair  and  hope;  the  fearful  tension  of  courage,  nerve 
and  strength  tested  to  the  uttermost  of  mortal  en 
durance, — all  these  ceased  for  Stephen  Hay  when 
the  chance  shot  from  the  outworks  of  Xexemani 
hurled  the  living  bolt  he  had  directed  against  the 
battered  and  splintered  gate  into  the  castle  ditch 
of  San  Lazaro. 

Through  the  long  afternoon  he  lay  there,  uncon 
scious,  almost  lifeless,  cut  by  splinters  of  the  beam 
beneath  him,  lacerated  by  fearful  missiles  which 
had  at  morn  been  the  bones  of  living  men,  and  so 
covered  with  the  gore  of  his  comrades  and  his  own 
blood,  that  the  Spanish  soldiers  and  even  the  friars 
of  the  Franciscan  convent,  busy  in  their  merciful 
task  of  comforting  the  dying  and  aiding  the  van 
quished,  passed  him  by  as  one  dead,  or  at  the  best 
forever  past  hope  of  succor  or  intelligent  sense  of 
pain. 

Only  the  quickened  sense  of  love  or  hatred  could 
excite  interest  under  such  circumstances,  and 
Stephen  would  have  perished,  smothered  in  the  cor 
rupting  mass  of  which  he  formed  a  part,  and  de 
voured  by  the  insect  pests  of  the  tropics,  had  not 


420  Cartagena 


his  long  golden  hair  and  stately  proportions  at 
tracted  the  attention  of  Don  Ramon,  as,  cigarette 
in  mouth,  he  superintended  the  removal  of  the  dead 
and  the  care  of  the  wounded. 

"Hola,  Pepe!v  he  cried  to  a  soldier  who,  with  a 
draw-bucket,  was  raisingwater  from  the  deeper  part 
of  the  moat  to  wash  away  the  more  offensive  evi 
dences  of  the  recent  slaughter.  "Come  hither,  and 
dash  a  bucketful  or  two  of  clear  water  over  yonder 
pile  of  Americanos.  Yonder  tall  fellow  seems  to  have 
been  an  acquaintance  of  mine,  to  whom  I  should  be 
glad  to  give  two  Spanish  ells  of  the  soil  he  has 
coveted." 

So  said,  so  done.  The  soldier  drew  a  bucket  of 
the  bloody  water,  and,  poising  it  above  the  terrible 
cumulus  of  mangled  humanity,  dashed  its  contents 
upon  the  head  and  shoulders  of  Hay,  sweeping  away 
the  blood  and  dust,  and  giving  to  view  the  pale  but 
noble  features,  and  eyes  and  lips  which  already 
gave  proofs  of  returning  animation. 

"Tis  he,  by  St.  Jago!"  said  the  Spaniard,  coolly. 
"Hark  ye,  Fepe:  we  have  little  need  of  more  of 
these  heretics  to  nurse  and  nourish,  and  yonder 
fellow  is  so  near  eternal  flames  that  'tis  a  pity  he 
should  revive  to  sin  longer  and  incur  greater  dam 
nation.  Pull  him  out  of  the  water,  Pepe,  and  when 
he  is  dead  bury  him;  and  a  gold  onsa  is  thine  when 
I  see  that  he  is  honorably  interred." 

The  man  laughed  silently, — a  laugh  horrible  in  its 
stealthy  brutishness;  but  only  his  manner  told  of 
his  fell  purpose  as  he  said: 
'  "I  understand,  senor.     I  go  yonder  for  one  of  the 


Death  in  Life  421 


long  hooks  they  are  preparing,  and  will  see  that  he 
comes  forth  from  the  pit  cleansed  and  ready  for  his 
last  sleep." 

"Not  so,  fellow!"  said  a  familiar  voice  behind 
them.  "Yonder  man  was  a  heretic,  it  is  true;  but  he 
shall  not  die  if  Carlos  de  Olivarez  or  the  poor  of  San 
Lazaro  can  preserve  the  life  of  a  stranger  who  dared 
to  peril  his  life  even  for  them."  Not  a  muscle  of 
the  Spaniard's  face  showed  anger  or  disquietude, 
as  he  turned  and  beheld  D'Olivarez  and  the  prior 
who  presided  over  the  leper  village,  and  with  quiet 
grace,  he  bowed  to  each,  and  made  fitting  if  some 
what  contemptuous  answer.  "I  care  not  for  his  death 
or  life,  senores.  He  is  as  good  as  dead  already,  and 
will  only  gasp  a  little  longer  ere  life  is  over.  But  if 
you  will,  take  him  to  your  own  comfortable  quarters 
yonder  and  care  for  him  there." 

"Thanks,  Don  Ramon,"  said  Olivarez,  calmly, 
and  raising  a  whistle  to  his  lips,  he  called  to  his  side 
two  stalwart  blacks,  who  carried  a  new  litter  cov 
ered  by  a  light  screen  from  the  hot  sun,  and  evi 
dently  never  contaminated  by  contact  with  the  leper 
community.  "Take  that  ladder,  and  bring  up  that 
tall  man  lying  yonder.  Lift  him  gently,  and  carry 
him  down  to  the  cottage." 

"You  can't  mean  it,  Seiior  Olivarez,"  said  Don 
Ramon,  hurriedly.  "What!  put  that  heretic  be 
smeared  with  blood  and  dust  into  the  snowy  litter 
of  the  Senorita  Inez  ?  Mother  of  God !  'twere  a  com 
pliment  worthy  of  our  noble  king  himself,  whom  God 
preserve." 

"He  came  to  us  who  were  strangers,  despised  and 


422  Cartagena 


avoided  of  men,  feared  almost  as  the  plague  of 
Aleppo,  and  without  fee  or  reward,  entered  the  por 
tals  of  that  lazar  house  to  shield  us  from  the  shot 
of  the  English  cannon.  Since  he  left  us  with  God's 
blessing  on  his  lips,  not  even  a  single  musket  shot 
has  been  discharged  against  it — saving  the  stray 
shot  of  San  Lazaro  and  Xexemani,"  added  Olivarez, 
parenthetically. 

'  "Therefore,"  said  the  priest,  "though  a  heretic  he 
shall  be  remembered  in  the  prayers  of  Mary  and  San 
Lazaro;  though  an  enemy  he  shall  have  all  that  ten 
der  care  can  give  or  gold  purchase;  and  the  anathema 
of  the  church,  the  curses  of  those  whom  God  has 
afflicted  be  upon  all  those  who  would  wish  or  work 
him  ill." 

"Truly,  he  is  like  to  have  due  tendance,"  said  Don 
Luis  gently.  "Where  wrill  you  bestow  him  at  pres 
ent?  In  the  wall  of  your  retreat?" 

"Not  so,  Don  Luis,"  said  Olivarez,  hotly.  "He 
shall  have  my  poor  boy's  own  bed,  and  my  servants 
shall  see  that  he  lacks  nothing.  But  forward,  lads," 
he  added,  turning  to  his  servants,  "carry  him  gently 
down  to  the  cottage  and  then  bring  back  the  litter; 
there  may  be  more  who  need  help." 

"Pardon  me,  Don  Olivarez,"  said  the  Spaniard, 
softly,  as  the  old  man  turned  to  depart.  "Remember 
that  I  am  in  some  sort  interested  in  yonder  soldier, 
and  that  he  is,  if  it  so  be  that  he  recovers  his  health, 
my  poor  prisoner  and  the  king's." 

"That,  living  or  dying,"  said  the  old  man,  hotly, 
"he  shall  not  long  be,  for  unless  I  have  lost  all  the 
influence  that  I  ever  possessed,  he  shall  be  a  free 
man  before  another  dav  has  ended." 


Death  in  Life  423 


"You  take  a  strong  interest  in  this  young  man, 
Don  Olivarez.  It  were  better,  perhaps,  to  show  less 
love  toward  one  who  is  an  enemy,  though  a  brave 
one,  who  would  fain  have  given  this  castle  to  the 
flames,  its  garrison  to  the  sword  and  yonder  city 
to  plunder.  It  were  better,  believe  me,  to  have  him 
within  the  wall,  where  dagger  and  torch  are  easier 
defied  than  in  yonder  slight  cottage." 

For  a  moment  it  seemed  as  if  Olivarez  could  scarce 
trust  himself  to  speak;  his  eyes  shone  from  within 
his  mask  like  coals  of  fire,  but  he  restrained  himself, 
and  when  he  spoke  no  trace  of  disturbance  was  in 
his  voice. 

"Thanks,  Don  Luis  de  Ramon,  but  I  have  no  fear 
of  such  outrage,  and  the  Senorita  Inez  has  never 
lacked  strong  arms  and  keen  blades  to  protect  her 
or,  if  need  be,  to  avenge  her  wrongs.  Had  my  son, 
her  brother,  fallen  in  private  quarrel,  save  in  such 
fair  conditions  of  honorable  debate  as  one  gentle 
man  holds  with  another,  the  assassins  could  by  no 
means  escape  from  such  vengeance  as  I  can  even  yet 
command;  and  he  who  brings  fear  or  danger  to  the 
bedside  of  my  daughter  will  have  short  shrift,  and 
such  a  death  as  shall  be  whispered  of  by  men  yet 
unborn." 

"I  well  believe  it,  Senor,"  said  Don  Ramon  softly. 
"By  the  mother  of  God,  I  should  fear  myself  were 
I  to  underlie  your  defiance.  But  we  speak  idly.  I 
would  gladly  agree  to  bring  half  my  company  at 
signal  or  sound  of  distress  from  your  fair  daughter's 
cottage.  Command  me,  Don  Olivarez.  My  best 
wishes  to  the  Dona  Inez.  Your  poor  servitor,  Fray 


424  Cartagena 


Carreno.  May  heaven  -soften  to  you  the  heavy  bur 
dens  you  bear." 

As  the  old  men  followed  the  litter  at  a  distance, 
the  priest  kept  an  uneasy  silence,  while  Olivarez, 
more  self -restrained,  seemed  nevertheless  busy  with 
bitter  and  ominous  thoughts.  Finally,  however, 
Fray  Carreno  broke  the  oppressive  silence,  but  not 
until  they  were  alone  in  an  opening  between  two 
straggling  growths  of  glossy-leaved  cocoas,  and  out 
of  hearing  of  any  intruder. 

"There  are  secrets  of  which  the  fathers  of  the 
church  must  not  speak,"  said  the  priest  in  a  low  tone. 

"It  is  not  unwisely  thus  directed,"  said  his  com 
panion. 

"Nevertheless,  it  is  not  right  that  the  lambs  of  the 
flock  should  suffer,  when  the  shepherd  can  warn 
of  coming  danger,  or  in  any  way  avert  it,"  continued 
Fray  Carreno. 

"He  would  indeed  be  a  false  shepherd,  who,  know 
ing  the  designs  of  the  wolf,  should  let  his  sheep  stray 
heedlessly  in  the  forest." 

"There  are  men  worse  than  wolves,"  said  the 
priest,  pithily,  "but  he  who  is  prudent  guards  well 
his  fold,  even  before  he  hears  the  howling  of  the 
wolves." 

"You  say  well,  Fray  Carreno,"  said  Olivarez,  ve 
hemently,  "and  believe  me  my  fold  shall  be  well 
guarded." 

A  fewr  moments  later  the  old  men  reached  the 
gate  of  the  garden,  where  Inez  awaited  them,  not 
as  aforetime  on  the  veranda  of  the  cottage,  but 
standing  just  within  the  gateway,  holding  in  one  up- 


Drnth  in  Life  425 


raised  hand  the  Medusa-hilled  poinard,  whose  fluted 
blade  had  slain  the  young  Spaniard  by  the  deserted 
batteries  of  La  Cliamba  at  Boca  Chica. 

''Whom  have  you  sent  to  my  care?"  she  asked 
breathlessly,  with  strange  vehemence.  "This  was 
Carlos'  dagger,  and  Tomaso  found  it  under  the  cover 
of  yonder  cartridge  box  when  the  American  was 
taken  from  the  litter.  See,  the  blade  is  dimmed  and 
rusty.  Poor,  dear,  lost  Carlos!  We  shall  never  see 
him  more,  my  heart  feels  but  too  surely.  But  how 
he  died,  we  must  know ;  and,  if  by  his  hand,"  and  she 
pointed  to  the  lattice  of  the  room  where  Hay  lay 
still  unconscious,  "he  shall  be  dearly  and  speedily 
avenged." 

Olivarez  took  the  weapon  and  eyed  it  narrowly. 
"I  did  not  know  that  Carlos  had  one  of  these  ac 
cursed  stilettos;  nor  should  boy  of  mine  have  car 
ried  a  weapon  so  unmanly  and  treacherous.  Are 
you  sure  that  it  was  his?" 

"Ay  de  mir  said  Inez  piteously,  wringing  her 
shapely  hands  in  true  southern  abandonment  of 
grief.  "Less  than  a  month  before  this  merciless 
siege,  we  sat  together,  Carlos  and  I,  in  the  veranda ; 
and  I,  needing  a  bodkin  for  some  embroider}' ,  chided 
my  little  maid  because  she  had  mislaid  it.  Carlos, 
who  could  not  bear  the  child's  tears,  sent  her  to  his 
room  for  this,  and  told  me  to  use  it  until  more  fitting 
one  could  be  found.  'I  have  never  carried  it,  nor 
ever  will,'  said  he,  'for  I  will  strike  a  foe  only  in 
the  daylight  and  face  to  face;  but  'tis  a  beautiful 
piece  of  workmanship,  and  cost  many  gold  reals  and 
many  days  of  skilful  carving,  I  warrant.'  " 


426  Cartagena 


"Did  he  say  of  whom  he  bought  it?"  asked  Olivarez 
quietly;  but  Fray  Carreno,  who  had  muffled  his  face 
in  his  hood,  seemed  a  stone  statue,  so  silently  and 
breathlessly  did  he  await  the  girl's  answer. 

"  'Twas  a  gift  of  Don  Luis  in  the  days  of  their  first 
friendship,"  said  Inez,  with  a  faint  blush  flitting 
over  her  pale  features.  "He  would  have  given  him 
his  Toledo  rapier,  Carlos  said,  but  he  refused  such 
a  sacrifice  and  took  this,  because  of  its  rare  and  cu 
rious  workmanship ;  I  used  it  for  a  few  days  longer, 
and  then  gave  it  back  to  poor  Carlos,  but  I  have 
never  seen  it  since  until  to-day." 

"I  will  keep  it,"  said  Olivarez  quietly,  "but  remem 
ber,  Inez,  wre  have  a  debt  to  pay  to  this  youth,  and 
time  will  tell  whether  of  vengeance  or  gratitude. 
Until  that  time  have  him  treated  as  if  he  were  Car 
los'  self.  Spare  neither  pains  nor  money  to  bring 
him  to  health  and  strength,  and  then  we  will  rewrard 
or  punish  as  heaven  may  enable  us  to  decide.  Is 
the  doctor  yet  with  him?" 

'"Here  he  comes  even  now,"  said  Inez,  and  as  he 
spoke  a  tall,  emaciated  man  in  a  suit  of  rusty  black 
came  down  the  shaded  path,  bearing  in  his  hand  a 
small  case  and  followed  by  a  negro  lad,  who  carried 
one  of  those  brazen  basins,  which  the  blood-letting 
practitioners  of  that  day,  in  Spain,  used  almost  in 
variably  in  every  case  which  came  under  their  su 
pervision. 

As  he  came  up  to  the  group  he  bowed  humbly,  yet 
with  a  quiet,  keen  glance  in  his  sunken  eyes,  which 
told  of  the  consciousness  of  superior  wisdom  and 
inherent  self  respect. 


Death  in  Life  427 


"A  sad  case,  Don  Olivarez;  a  sad  case.  Yet  there 
is  hope,  with  time  and  care,  that  the  young  man  may 
recover.  He  hath,  presently,  opened  his  eyes  and 
breathes  easier,  although  reason  hath  not  and  may 
never  again  return.  However,  with  free  evacuation 
of  blood  and  quiet,  he  may  yet  come  to  himself,  and 
acknowledge  the  generosity  which  a  Spaniard  shows 
even  to  an  enemy." 

With  a  punctilious  farewell,  the  man  of  drugs  and 
lancet  departed,  but  close  upon  his  heels  Tomaso, 
the  black  servitor,  came  bearing  in  his  hands  the 
secret  money  belt,  which  he  held  at  full  length,  as  if 
desirous  of  keeping  as  far  as  possible  from  some  mys 
terious  danger. 

"What  have  you  there,  Tomaso?"  asked  Olivarez 
quietly.  "A  snake  skin !  Truly  I  knew  not  that  ser 
pents  of  such  marking  were  found  here,  though  we 
have  kinds  enough  and  to  spare." 

"Tomaso  took  it  from  the  heretic's  body,"  said  the 
slave,  breathlessly,  "and  there  may  be  magic  in  it, 
for  it  is  full  of  gold,  and  of  the  wanga  and  other 
plants  such  as  Obi  used  in  Jamaica." 

"Give  me  the  belt,"  said  Olivarez,  sternly.  "The 
brave  fellow  carried  it  that  even  in  death  it  might 
perchance  come  into  my  hands ;  for  long  ago,  in  fair 
Martinique,  where  in  every  thicket  the  terrible  fer 
de  lance  lurks  with  ready  venom,  I  slew  the  reptile 
whose  fangs  would  have  taken  my  brother's  life. 
The  gold  he  sent  with  this  token,  for  he  had  the 
skin  cunningly  tanned  until  it  was  soft  as  silk  and 
proof  against  water.  As  to  the  wanga,  you,  Tomaso, 
should  know  something  of  its  uses." 


428  Cartagena 


"Toiuaso  lias  seen  it  given  in  fevers,  and  to  give 
quiet  sleep  to  raving  men,  but  Obi  kills  many  with 
it  who  never  wake  again.  Only  a  little  will  give 
sleep  to  him  who  lies  muttering  and  tossing  in  the 
room  of  the  Senor  Carlos." 

Fray  Carreno  turned  suddenly  to  the  group,  and 
his  voice,  usually  low  and  humble,  was  full  of  de 
cision  and  conscious  authority.  "Dona  Inez!  go 
to  yonder  room  and  bring  me  word  as  to  how  the 
patient  lies;  if  he  be  in  high  fever,  or  relapsed  and 
weak;  also  if  he  raves  or  talks  to  himself,  with  his 
face  flushed  and  eyes  larger  than  is  wont.  Tomaso, 
bring  me  a  cup  of  hot  water,  very  hot,  do  you  hear, 
and  also  a  leaf  of  yonder  plantain." 

The  maiden  went  and  came  quickly,  all  traces  of 
anger  or  revenge  gone  from  her  face,  now  soft  and 
pitiful. 

"How  is  the  stranger,  my  daughter?"  asked  the 
friar  gently. 

"He  lies  flushed  and  fevered,  complaining  not, 
though  his  chest  heaves  terribly  at  times.  He  talks 
brokenly  of  his  home  and  mother  and,  I  think,  of 
others,  for  I  hear  the  name  of  Margarita  and  other 
names  that  are  strange  to  me  in  his  harsh,  northern 
tongue;  but  he  seems  strong,  though  feverish,  and 
I  hope  your  skill,  reverend  father,  will  bring  him  to 
calm  reason  again." 

Even  as  she  spoke,  Fray  Carreno  took  the  leaf 
of  the  plantain,  and,  deftly  folding  it,  made  a  rude 
funnel,  into  which,  with  the  point  of  a  thorn,  he 
placed  a  number  of  leaves  from  the  recesses  of  the 
secret  belt  and  then  placed  the  funnel  in  the  cup 


Death  in  Life  429 


of  hot  water.  Almost  at  once  the  liquid  became 
nearly  blood  red,  and  as  it  began  to  grow  turbid  he 
hastily  withdrew  the  leaves  and  motioned  to  Tomaso 
to  take  the  cup,  which  had  been  scrupulously  left 
untouched  during  the  operation. 

"See  that  he  drinks  this,  Tomaso.  Should  he  sleep 
beyond  the  first  dawn,  or  grow  chill  and  weak,  you 
know  the  remedy.  I  would  he  had  a  wiser  nurse, 
but  he  is  in  the  care  of  heaven  and  I  cannot  enter 
the  dwellings  of  men.  Come,  Senor  de  Olivarez,  it  is 
time  for  vespers;  even  now  the  great  bell  of  the 
Lazaretto  calls  our  fellow  sufferers  to  prayer." 

Olivarez  remained  a  moment  behind.  "Good 
night,  dear  daughter.  May  heaven  have  you  in  holy 
keeping.  But  you  are  of  my  blood,  and  none  of 
our  house  have  been  false  or  recreant  in  love  or 
hate.  See,  then,  that  Tomaso  does  his  duty  faith 
fully  and  wisely,  and  fear  not  that  the  tongues  of 
men  or  the  merciful  eyes  of  the  holy  mother  will 
blame  you  here  or  hereafter.  I  would  lay  my  life 
on  the  innocence  of  this  man,  but  the  future  will 
end  all  doubt,  in  God's  good  time.  Let  loose  the 
great  dogs  in  the  lower  rooms,  and  let  Bravo  roam 
in  the  garden  at  night.  He  will  not  eat  from  .a 
strange  hand,  yet  see  that  he  be  fed  until  he  will 
take  no  more.  Let  Pedro  have  all  the  arms  loaded 
and  arm  the  men  servants  therewith,  and  see  that 
the  secret  door  opens  easily,  for  there  are  those  who 
have  no  love  to  your  charge.  Fear  not  for  your 
self,  for  although  I  may  never  again  kiss  your  dear 
face,  your  father's  love  can  and  will  shield  you  from 
all  peril." 


430  Cartagena 


Within  the  closed  gate  of  the  Lazaretto  the  motley 
throng  of  lepers  were  dispersing,  having  knelt  be 
fore  the  altar  where  the  dead  Christ,  depicted  by  a 
master's  hand,  had  a  generation  before  been  placed 
there  by  the  munificence  of  a  Spanish  noble,  long 
since  gone  to  his  account,  but  none  the  less  loved 
and  remembered  by  the  unhappy  successors  of  the 
ill-fated  beings  who  in  his  day  had  awakened  his 
princely  pity  and  charity. 

Since  the  great  picture  had  hung  there,  hundreds 
had  knelt  before  it  in  helpless  exile,  cast  out  from 
home  and  love,  from  a  mother's  caresses  and  a 
father's  tenderness,  from  the  struggles  and  hopes 
of  all  human  ambition,  the  soldier's  ardor,  the  sea 
man's  daring,  the  expectation  of  love,  the  universal 
hope  of  posterity.  Often  still  strong,  beautiful, 
nurtured  in  wealth  and  luxury,  they  had  been 
brought  here  by  force,  to  see,  horror-stricken  and 
despairing,  scores  of  examples  of  the  terrible  doom 
from  which  nothing  but  merciful  death,  by  acute 
disease  or  sudden  accident,  could  save  them. 

Hence  in  this  place,  where  life  retained  none  of  the 
hopes  which  sweeten  and  glorify  existence,  length 
of  days  was  deemed  a  misfortune,  and  few  lamented 
when  they  knew  that  only  a  few  hours  remained  of 
their  blighted  existences;  yet,  strangely  enough, 
even  in  this  horrible  place,  marriage  vows  were  said, 
though  fortunately  but  few  unhappy  beings  were 
brought  into  the  world  foredoomed  to  a  life  of 
hereditary  leprosy  and  exclusion  from  the  world. 
On  the  other  hand,  singularly  enough,  there  were 
but  few  who  anticipated  their  inevitable  doom  by 


Death  in  Life  431 


self -murder,  for  such  having  been  ever  buried  in  un- 
consecrated  ground,  were  held  to  have  parted  for 
ever  with  all  hope  of  heaven;  and  men  to  whom  all 
earthly  joys  were  closed  could  not  bear  the  thought 
of  losing  that  immortal  life  in  which  alone  they  could 
rejoin  their  loved  ones,  pure,  glorious  and  without 
stain  or  trace  of  mortality. 

Here,  therefore,  all  feuds  ended  between  those 
who  had  in  better  days  been  deadly  enemies,  es 
tranged  friends,  or  bitter  partisans  of  opposing  fac 
tions.  Here,  the  man  of  noble  birth  called  the  peas 
ant  brother;  the  doomed  maiden  of  the  sangre  azul 
wedded  the  man  of  low  estate,  whose  greater 
strength  \vould  enable  him  to  smooth  her  own  inevi 
table  progress  to  a  leper's  grave.  Here  men  called 
each  other  "brother"  despite  disparity  in  former 
days,  and  women,  notwithstanding  the  greater  love 
of  the  sex  for  nice  distinctions  of  place  and  caste, 
greeted  each  other  as  "sister,"  under  the  leveling 
force  of  common  misfortune  and  suffering.  Yet 
there  were  still  men  who  were  recognized  as  lead 
ers;  women  who  moved  among  their  kind  to  support, 
comfort  and  direct;  the  natural  leaders  who,  under 
all  circumstances  of  human  society,  have  and  ever 
will  present  themselves,  to  whom  their  weaker  and 
less  powerful  brethren  will  do  willing  obedience. 

Therefore,  after  the  evening  service,  a  score  or 
more  of  the  stronger  and  bolder  spirits  remained 
behind  with  Olivarez ;  and  Fray  Carreno,  with  a  sin- 
ble  admonitory  whisper,  left  him  in  secret  council, 
with  a  band  of  men* still  formidable  enough  despite 
the  ravages  of  their  incurable  malady. 


432  Cartagena 


"I  have  called  you  together,"  said  he,  breaking  a 
breathless  silence,  "to  ask  your  aid  in  protecting  the 
cottage  of  my  daughter,  which,  for  good  reasons,  I 
deem  not  safe  from  possible  attack  and  plunder,  if 
not  greater  outrage.  As  you  all  know,  it  was  for 
merly  occupied  by  my  dear  children,  an  only  son 
and  daughter,  for  whose  sake,  though  I  might  easily 
have  fled  to  other  countries,  where  even  such  as  we 
are  not  altogether  shut  out  from  men,  I  came  wil 
lingly  here  to  become  one  of  the  many  afflicted  poor 
of  Mary  and  the  holy  San  Lazaro.  My  children  I 
bestowed  in  yonder  'cottage,  and  was  happy  in  their 
happiness  and  in  the  love  they  have  ever  shown  to 
their  afflicted  father,  until  my  boy  went  out  to  meet 
the  English  and  came  back  no  more;  whether  slain 
in  fair  fight  or  by  the  hand  of  an  assassin  I  have 
yet  to  decide.  But  his  sister  yet  lives,  and  under  her 
roof  lies  the  brave  young  American,  who  came  to 
our  gates  to  assure  the  English  general,  that  he 
might  safely  spare  us  from  the  horrors  of  a  bom 
bardment  or  the  dangers  of  an  escalade.  And  I 
know  that  he  has  enemies,  powerful  enemies,  who 
may  well  lead  a  band  of  guerrillas  or  a  mob  from 
Xexemani  to  murder,  rob  or  burn.  I  therefore  ask 
how  many  of  you  are  willing  to  keep  watch  and 
ward,  aye,  and  be  ready  to  do  battle,  for  the  sanc 
tity  of  my  house  and  the  honor  of  the  Seilorita  Inez  ?" 

The  very  thought  of  once  more  bearing  arms,  of 
crossing  steel  in  desperate  combat,  of  feeling  their 
sluggish  blood  heated  by  the  shock  and  rush  of  bat 
tle,  seemed  to  transform  these  men,  but  a  few  mo 
ments  before  sullen,  apathetic,  sorrowful,  or  lost 


Death  in  Life 


in  contemplation  of  the  life  everlasting.  Felix,  a 
huge  Biscayan,  once  noted  as  the  boatswain  of  a 
giiarda  costo,  first  broke  the  silence. 

"All!  Don  Olivarez*and  with  thanks,  too.  I've 
a  good  cutlass  and  my  pistols  still  by  me,  and  no 
longer  ago  than  last  week  I  stowed  them  away  out 
of  sight ;  for  I  minded  me  of  many  a  brave  fight,  such 
as  I  never  dared  to  hope  of  seeing  more.  Aye,  I 
would  watch  for  a  year  to  be  a  man  again  against 
men,  and  for  the  lady  Inez.  I  would  gladly  end  life 
thus,  rather  than  rot  like  a  sheep  within  this  terrible 
place." 

The  other  men  seconded  their  comrade  in  low, 
resolute  tones — some,  alas!  in  husky  and  inarticu 
late  words,  resulting  from  fearful  corrosion  of  the 
face;  and  then  all  was  silence  as  Olivarez  proceeded: 

"Do  you,  then,  hold  yourselves  in  readiness  to  the 
number  of  thirty,  taking  to  your  aid  as  many  as 
you  can  best  trust,  ten  of  whom  will  stand  guard 
every  night,  between  darkness  and  sunrise,  not  as 
sentries  at  the  house,  but  as  scouts  in  the  orchards 
which  surround  the  clearing.  The  other  twenty  will 
be  armed  and  ready  at  the  first  alarm,  to  seek  the 
gate,  where  I  or  a  friend  will  be  always  posted  to 
give  you  exit.  Felix,  you  will  lead  the  first  ten; 
Jos6  Aranda,  you  have  too  often  hunted  in  these 
woods  to  have  forgotten  their  secrets  now,  and  you 
will  take  command  of  the  second  party;  I  will  take 
the  third  yet  to  be  raised.  And  now,  friends,  I  thank 
you  for  your  fidelity.  Go,  and  prepare  for  our  last 
deeds  in  arms!" 

One  by  one  they  filed  out  into  the  darkness,  leav- 


434  .  Cartagena 


ing  Olivarez  alone  in  the  sacristy,  where,  by  a  single 
hanging  lamp,  he  drew  from  his  breast  the  antique 
dagger,  and  viewed  its  wondrous  workmanship  over 
and  over.  With  dislike  the  olll  buccaneer  viewed  the 
fluted,  edgeless  blade,  too  short  for  open  fight,  so 
sure  in  traitorous  hands,  so  deadly  in  that  its  con 
tused  wounds  were  ever  hard  to  heal,  though  its 
blows  were  not  surely  given;  and  all  the  aversion  a 
brave  man  feels  for  such  weapons  showed  itself  in 
every  feature.  The  convoluted  serpent  folds  which 
formed  the  guard,  the  finely  formed  limbs  and  loath 
some  head  of  the  serpent-haired  Medusa  attracted 
him,  however,  with  something  of  that  spell  which 
the  hunter  feels  when  he  comes  upon  a  coiled  ser 
pent  in  the  wilderness,  and.stands  for  a  second  mo 
tionless,  eyeing  the  sleek,  pliant  painted  folds,  the 
slender,  threatening  head,  with  its  open  mouth, 
erected  fangs  and  sibilant  tongue,  and  the  small, 
cold,  bright  eyes,  without  any  touch  of  softness,  any 
expression  of  aught  but  resolute  malignity. 

Such  a  feeling  seized  Olivarez  for  a  moment,  so 
curiously  and  faithfully  had  the  artist  labored,  so 
strangely  malign  was  the  glance  of  the  jeweled  eyes 
of  the  Medusa.  In  the  deserted  chapel,  the  deathly 
stillness  seemed  to  become  intense  and  painful  to 
his  excited  feelings,  and  for  a  time  the  strong  soul  of 
the  bereaved  and  anxious  father  almost  yielded  to 
the  agony  of  its  long-restrained  emotion ;  but  at  last 
he  replaced  the  weapon  in  his  belt,  and  fose  with 
his  old  stately  grace  to  his  feet. 

"I  had  almost  fancied,"  he  soliloquized,  "that  Car 
los'  spirit  was  with  me  here  and  called  for  vengeance. 


Death  in  Life  435 


Were  it  not  that  I  ever  derided  such  womanish  fan 
cies  and  idle  superstitions,  I  could  have  sworn 
that  by  this  accursed  weapon  he  met  his  untimely 
death.  But  I  doubt  rather  Don  Ramon  than  yonder 
giant  American,  who  wrould  slay  in  battle  like  a 
man,  but  not  stab  with  such  a  serpent  fang  as  this. 
Young,  wealthy,  the  petted  favorite  of  the  viceroy, 
and  given  to  all  forms  of  dissolute  life,  I  know  that 
Carlos  was  at  first  attracted  by  his  beauty,  accom 
plishments  and  generosity,  but  was  alienated  by  his 
cruel  indifference  to  the  rights  and  happiness  of  oth 
ers,  and  the  scandal  and  sorrow  caused  by  his  un 
bridled  passions.  He  himself  speaks  of  wishing  to 
slay  my  son,  even  in  the  vice-regal  palace.  Nothing 
but  a  sense  of  the  bitterest  wrong  could  have  induced 
Carlos  to  forget  the  respect  due  his  host — the  obedi 
ence  he  owed  to  the  representative  of  his  king.  It  is 
not  like  Don  Ramon  to  forgive,  they  say.  Carlos 
would  hardly  keep  the  dagger  after  an  almost  deadly 
quarrel,  and  Don  Ramon  is  just  the  man  to  gratify  an 
unsatiated  revenge  by  the  hands  of  a  hired  bravo." 

A  footstep  in  the  outer  chapel  was  heard,  and 
there  entered  the  sacristy  the  latest  arrival  at  the 
Lazaretto,  a  young  merchant  of  the  city,  who,  sud 
denly  attacked,  had  been  exiled  in  spite  of  prayers, 
threats  and  entreaties,  and  had  since  remained  a 
prey  to  almost  utter  despair,  despite  the  consola 
tions  of  Fray  Carreno  and  the  well  meant  sympathy 
and  encouragement'of  his  fellow  sufferers. 

Martinez  de  Herrera,  as  the  heir  of  a  wealthy 
merchant,  and  connected  by  blood  with  officials  emi 
nent  in  the  history  of  the  settlement  and  growth 


436  Cartagena 


of  the  city,  had  seen  at  his  command  before  him  all 
the  conditions  for  a  life  of  happiness  which  man  could 
desire.  Wealthy,  graceful  in  person,  comely  in  face, 
intelligent  beyond  the  majority  of  men  of  his  time 
and  years,  he  added  to  a  kindly  and  generous  nature 
that  acute  sensibility  which  makes  the  success  of 
the  poet,  artist  and  musician,  and  makes  glorious  or 
most  miserable  the  life  of  its  possessor;  to  whom 
there  can  in  no  case  pertain  that  calm  and  philoso 
phic  middle  course,  in  which  alone  men  safely  and 
happily  bring  to  a  quiet  haven,  the  storm-tossed 
bark  after  the  voyage  of  life. 

Suddenly  hurled  from  the  pinnacle  of  happiness 
to  the  depths  of  despair ;  driven  from  the  bosom  of 
his  family  and  that  society  which  had  so  lately  be 
held  him  its  petted  favorite;  doomed  to  a  hopeless 
exile,  and  inevitable  and  loathsome  death,  he  had 
given  way  to  a  despair  in  which  there  seemed  to  be 
no  ray  of  hope,  no  gleam  of  consolation;  and,  un 
cleanly  of  person,  slovenly  of  attire,  careless  of  food 
or  drink,  shelter  or  occupation,  Don  Martinez  had 
become  a  pitiable  spectacle,  even  to  the  most  mis 
erable  of  the  colony  of  lepers. 

But  now  he  appeared  before  Olivarez  fresh  from 
the  bath  and  toilet,  dressed  in  the  closely  fitting 
small-clothes  of  fine  Biscayan  linen  which  in  that 
warm  climate  was  the  favorite  and  fitting  attire  of 
the  Spanish  gentleman;  and  his  coat  of  amethystine 
velvet,  laced  with  gold,  was  crossed  by  a  narrow 
but  costly  belt,  at  which  hung  a  splendid  rapier  and 
a  pair  of  pistols  of  exquisite  workmanship.  His 
hair  had  been  close  cut,  but  was  oiled  and  perfumed ; 


Death  in  Life  437 


his  collarless  shirt  above  its  voluminous  ruffle  was 
banded  with  a  collarette  of  golden  buttons  of  fila 
gree  work,  and  his  Spanish  hat  of  laced  velvet  was 
decked  with  a  magnificent  plume,  which  swept  with 
a  graceful  curve  around  half  the  crown  and  waved 
daintily  with  every  zephyr  of  the  evening  land 
breeze,  which  came  through  the  barred  lattice. 

"Good  evening,  Senor  Olivarez,"  he  said,  with 
much  of  his  old  vivacity;  "I  have  come  to  offer  myself 
as  a  recruit  for  your  new  adventure.  May  I  hope 
that  I  shall  not  be  refused?1' 

"Refused,  Senor  Martinez?  I  shall  be  only  too 
glad  of  your  assistance,  though  I  must  tell  you  that 
it  may  compromise  all  who  take  service  under  me, 
and  perchance  doom  them  to  the  gibbet  or  the  fire 
of  His  Majesty's  troops." 

"I  care  not,"  said  the  young  man,  eagerly.  "I  have 
been  told  your  object,  and  would  readily  die  to  se 
cure  so  glorious  and  end.  Listen,  Senor  Olivarez: 
Carlos  and  Lwere  friends." 

"So  I  have  always  thought,"  said  the  old  man 
quietly. 

"We  were  friends  and  together  everywhere,  in 
truth,  almost  inseparable,  and,  until  that  serpent, 
Don  Ramon,  came  here  from  Spain,  had  never  a 
breath  of  misunderstanding;  but  when  he  first  came 
into  society,  all  Cartagena,  both  man  and  woman, 
seemed  fascinated  and  conquered  by  his  wit  and 
beauty.  Alas!  All  were  not  able  to  withstand  his 
insinuating  and  treacherous  arts,  and  one,  dear  to 
me  as  the  child  of  a  faithful  servitor,  died  in  the 
hospital  of  St.  Juan  de  Dios  in  shame  and  despair. 


438  Cartagena 


"I  first  feared  for  his  victim,  and  denounced  him 
as  a  villain;  but  he  made  me  appear  prejudiced  and 
over  suspicious,  and  even  Don  Carlos  turned  his 
back  upon  me  in  contemptuous  pity.  For  a  while  I, 
myself,  doubted  the  justice  of  my  own  attack;  but 
when  poor  Maria  fled  from  home,  leaving  the  fren 
zied  story  of  her  wrongs,  I  showed  the  tear-blotted 
papelcito  to  Don  Carlos,  and  he,  confessing  his  injus 
tice,  was  first  to  call  the  villain  to  mortal  arbitra 
ment.'7 

"Why  was  the  quarrel  made  up?"  asked  Olivarez. 

"It  was  wrhen  the  first  news  of  the  coming  of  the 
fleet  reached  the  governor  that  we  encountered  in 
the  patio  of  the  viceroy,  and  it  was  only  by  threaten 
ing  to  shoot  the  first  man  who  made  a  thrust,  that 
the  lieutenant  of  the  guard  prevented  a  duel  to  the 
death.  It  was,  however,  understood  by  both  that, 
the  siege  once  over,  the  duel  was  to  take  place,  and 
each  by  his  honor  swore  that  neither  gain,  love,  fear 
nor  any  other  motive,  should  keep  him  from  the  de 
ferred  meeting." 

"Then  they  parted  not  in  amity?"  said  Olivarez 
inquiringly. 

"In  amity?"  repeated  Don  Martinez  in  savage 
irony.  "Of  a  truth,  no!  Don  Ramon  at  that  very 
moment  drew  off  a  balas  ruby,  the  gift  of  Don  Car 
los,  and  threw  it  at  his  feet;  and  he,  not  to  be  put- 
done,  sent  him  back  several  costly  gifts  by  the  hands 
of  a  servitor  of  Don  Ramon,  who  a  few  days  after,  at 
pique  with  his  master,  became  a  marine  under  Don 
Bias  de  Lezo,  and,  as  I  have  heard,  died  during  the 
siege." 


Death  in  Life  439 


"Thanks,  Don  Martinez,  for  your  confidence.  In 
my  service  there  is  no  hope  of  gain  or  ambition,  yet 
I  need  a  leader  for  the  last  ten  of  my  company  of 
thirty.  Are  you  willing  to  take  charge  of  it  under 
my  leadership?" 

For  the  first  time,  since  the  day  when  he  had  been 
forcibly  carried  to  the  leper  village,  Herrera  was 
seen  to  smile.  "Don  Olivarez,"  said  he,  "I  thank 
God  that,  even  in  my  misery  I  have  found  honors  and 
employment,  in  the  which  I  had  found  pleasure  even 
in  my  happiest  days.  I  may  not  tell  you  what  su 
preme  joys  I  have  coveted,  what  crowning  bliss  I 
have  dared  to  hope  for,  what  dream  of  paradise  in 
a  moment  blotted  forever  from  my  vision,  was  re 
placed  by  this  terrible  reality  of  our  hopeless  fate. 
But  if  only  your  fears  may  prove  true;  if  only  I  may 
once  more  feel  the  thrill  of  courageous  daring  and 
the  madness  of  battle,  with  the  consciousness  of  be 
ing  engaged  in  a  cause  for  which  even  the  noblest 
and  happiest  might  welcome  death,  I  have  only  one 
more  boon  to  ask  of  heaA^en,  save  the  remission  of  my 
sins,  in  this  mortal  life." 

"Whatever  your  wish,"  said  Olivarez,  eagerly,  "if 
wealth  can  purchase  or  influence  attain  it,  I  promise 
you  in  advance  it  shall  be  yours." 

"Ah,"  said  the  young  man,  solemnly,  "only  of  God 
may  I  obtain  my  desire,  though  to  all  in  His  good 
time  he  allots  the  blessing.  Few  there  are  who  like 
me  crave  its  speedy  coming.  Only  to  the  frame 
racked  with  torment,  or  the  heart  bowed  into  the 
dust  with  sorrow  or  despair,  comes  the  earnest  wish 
for  the  peaceful  calm  of  death." 


440  Cartagena 


"Truly,"  said  Don  Olivarez,  with  his  voice  for  the 
first  time  tremulous  with  pity  and  his  mask  wet  with 
unrestrained  tears,  "thou  hast  suffered  overmuch, 
and  art  worthy  of  all  love  and  trust.  Thou  shalt  be 
a  son  to  me  who  am  sonless,  the  defence  of  a  sister 
left  brotherless  by  a  fate  not  yet  revealed,  and  God 
in  his  own  time,  be  it  sooner  or  later,  shall  reward 
thee  according  to  thy  just  deserts.  But  I  hear  the 
feet  of  our  men ;  they  return  from  arming  themselves 
for  our  final  review." 

As  he  spoke,  they  entered,  to  the  number  of  nearly 
two-score,  often  beggarly  in  dress,  with  motley  and 
insufficient  arms,  but  nevertheless  a  body  of  men  to 
be  feared.  There  were  men  with  but  one  hand, 
whose  undiseased  arm  had  acquired  the  strength  of 
two ;  those  whose  features  wrere  hidden  by  dominos, 
whose  onslaught  few  men  could  withstand,  and  even 
now  mighty  hunters  of  the  jaguar  and  ocelot;  and 
others,  half  deprived  of  sight,  who  with  the  other 
eye,  could  rival  the  best  skill  of  the  guerillas  of  the 
wilderness  of  Calamari.  The  hunter  with  his  long 
musket,  the  cayman  slayer  with  his  wTell-balanced 
harpoon,  the  turtle  fisher  with  his  long  bow  and 
deadly  arrows,  the  one-armed  butcher  with  his  tren 
chant  Spanish  axe,  and  the  peasant  with  his  machete, 
— all  were  represented  by  men  who  no  longer  needed 
the  usual  incentives  of  man  to  courage,  fidelity  and 
self-sacrifice. 

They  were  told  off  to  the  number  of  thirty;  the 
rest  were  to  remain  with  Olivarez  as  a  reserve  at 
the  guard  house  by  the  gate,  and,  with  the  first 
detachment,  stout  Felix  went  to  his  first  night's 
scout  among  the  cocoa  orchards. 


Death  in  Life  441 


As  he  parted,  his  words  drew  a  grim  smile  of  ap 
proval  from  his  maimed  and  stricken  followers: 

"Faith!  'tis  a  strange  following  to  lead  to  battle, 
and  yet  I  would  not  fear  to  meet  four  times  our 
number,  an'  they  but  knew  with  whom  they  had  to 
deal.  There  are  many  who  have  willingly  faced  ball 
and  steel,  who  would  not  for  millions  take  us  by  the 
hand;  still  less  feel  on  hilt  or  hand  the  deadly  stain 
of  a  leper's  blood." 

"  'Tis  even  so,"  said  Olivarez,  under  his  breath,  as 
the  huge  gate  was  locked  behind  the  little  company. 
"There  is  no  courage  so  great,  no  love  of  gain  so 
devouring,  no  devotion  so  unselfish  and  fearless  that 
could  induce  the  meanest  of  the  rabble  of  Xexemani 
to  join  himself  to  our  number,  or  take  the  risk  of 
becoming  so  sad  a  spectacle  of  death  in  life." 


Chapter  XXXI. 
A  L'outrance 

But  for  many  days  watch  and  ward  seemed  need 
less,  although,  as  Stephen  Hay  slowly  recovered 
strength,  Don  Kamon  sent  many  a  messenger,  and 
more  than  once  galloped  down  to  the  gate  himself,  to 
inquire  in  his  courtly  way  concerning  the  health  of 
the  Senorita  Inez  and  the  state  of  the  wounded  cap 
tive.  It  was  but  too  evident  to  the  lady  in  question, 
that  he  felt  no  pleasure  at  learning  of  the  probable 
recovery  of  the  American,  and  more  than  once,  he 
almost  expressed  a  decided  intention  of  removing 
Hay  to  the  common  hospital  of  the  city  prison. 

He  was  met  by  too  decided  a  negative  from 
both  father  and  daughter  to  pursue  the  subject  fur 
ther;  but  Olivarez  obtained  of  Eslava,  the  mili 
tary  governor,  the  ransom  of  the  prisoner,  and  when 
Stephen  for  the  first  time  reclined  in  an  easy-chair 
on  the  cool  veranda,  Don  Kamon,  coming  up  on  his 
light  Spanish  jennet,  turned  fairly  yellow-white  with 
suspicious  jealousy.  Throwing  the  reins  to  his 
servant,  he  joined  the  New  Englander  and  his  fair 
hostess,  who  sat,  as  was  her  wont,  beside  her  pa 
tient,  whom  she  had  already  begun  to  pity,  and  per 
haps  to  love,  despite  her  dark  suspicions  and  fears 
concerning  the  death  of  her  only  brother. 

He  greeted  Inez  politely,  but  went  on  to  speak  of 
the  topics  of  the  time,  and  to  make  inquiries  con 
cerning  the  affairs  of  the  household,  without  in  any 


A  L'outnmce  443 


way  answering  the  pleasant  greeting  of  the  conva 
lescent,  or  even  the  slight  civility  of  a  bow. 

"You  seem  to  have  forgotten  the  Senor  Stephen," 
said  Inez,  pointedly. 

"You  mistake,  senorita,"  he  replied;  "I  have  al 
ready  shown  him  more  civility  than  is  fitting.  A 
Spanish  count  has  nothing  in  common  with  an  Eng 
lish  farmer,  and  a  mere  sergeant,  a  common  prisoner 
of  war,  has  no  claim  on  the  politeness  of  a  colonel 
in  His  Majesty's  infantry. '  I  have  allowed  him  thus 
far  extraordinary  privileges,  to  please  you,  who  are 
my  friends;  but  we  received  yesterday  orders  to 
transfer  to  the  keeper  of  the  city  prison,  the  few 
prisoners  and  stragglers  who  were  left  on  our  hands 
by  the  sailing  of  the  English  fleet." 

Inez  drew  from  a  small  casket  a  paper  bearing  the 
seal  of  the  governor  of  Cartagena.  "The  Senor  Hay 
is  no  longer  a  prisoner,"  said  she,  pointedly.  "Here 
is  Don  Sebastian's  order  for  his  release." 

Don  Ramon's  pale  cheek  for  an  instant  flushed 
with  ill  repressed  wrath,  and  then  he  became  again 
as  calmly  icily  courteous  as  was  his  wont,  when  he 
had  weighed  the  chances  against  him  and  the  way  to 
success.  "I  feared  as  much,"  said  he,  quietly,  "and 
liad  hoped  to  perform  elsewhere,  a  duty  too  painful 
to  name  in  your  presence.  But  I  see  that  over-grati 
tude  for  the  slight  service  rendered  by  that  man 
has  so  enlisted  the  Dona  Inez  and  her  noble  father 
in  his  behalf,  that  I  must  even  appear  cruel,  or  let 
justice  triumph,  and  a  foul  wrong  go  unpunished." 

"Whatever  charge  you  have  to  make  against  the 
Senor  Hay  should,  it  seems  to  me,  be  made  in  the 


444  Cartagena 


presence  of  my  father,  whose  guest  he  is.  See,  he 
is  coming  with  the  unhappy  Senor  Martinez  and  the 
good  Fray  Carreno.  Pepe!  Jose'!  bring  the  litter 
and  bear  the  Senor  Hay  to  the  shade  of  the  palm  tree 
beside  the  gate.  Don  Ramon,  I  will  join  you  in  a 
moment." 

Ten  minutes  later  the  parties  were  all  gathered 
near  the  gate,  and  Don  Ramon,  calling  to  his  servant, 
ordered  him  to  bring  from  his  holsters  the  pistols 
therein.  The  page,  a  bright  young  Andalusian, 
brought  the  weapons,  and  at  his  master's  order  laid 
them  on  the  litter  before  Stephen,  who  felt  that  at 
last  the  gage  of  battle  was  thrown  before  him,  and 
that  the  struggle  was  to  be  one  in  which  either  he  or 
his  powerful  antagonist  must  die.  Though  still  weak 
he  arose  to  an  erect  sitting  posture,  and  with  long, 
wasted  fingers,  examined  the  pistols  found  beside 
the  dead  Spaniard  at  Boca  Chica. 

"Ask  the  Senor  Hay  if  he  recognizes  those  weap 
ons,"  said  Don  Ramon,  after  courteously  greeting 
Olivarez. 

The  question  was  repeated  in  English,  and  Hay  at 
once  answered  without  hesitation  or  evasion: 

"They  were  carried  in  my  belt  on  the  day  that  I 
was  wounded  at  San  Lazaro." 

"Take  them  to  Senor  Olivarez,"  said  Don  Ramon, 
with  a  malign  smile.  "Perhaps  he  can  also  recog 
nize  them." 

Olivarez,  with  a  natural  shudder,  looked  again 
upon  the  familiar  weapons,  wrorn  by  himself  in  many 
a  desperate  encounter.  "They  were  mine,"  he  said 
with  an  effort,  "and  carried  by  my  poor  boy  when  he 
parted  from  me  forever." 


A  L'outrance  445 


"Froni  whence  did  you  receive  them,  sir?"  asked 
Don  Ramon  sternly,  turning  to  Stephen,  who  saw, 
with  ill-concealed  sorrow,  the  tears  of  the  Senorita 
Inez  and  the  sullen  and  averted  looks  of  the  slaves, 
who  had  hitherto  waited  so  kindly  upon  him. 

"I  took  them  from  the  body  of  a  young  Spaniard, 
whom  I  helped  to  bury  at  Boca  Chica." 

"How  came  he  to  his  death?"  asked  Don  Kamon, 
with  flashing  eyes. 

For  the  first  time  since  his  fall  into  the  moat  at 
San  Lazaro,  something  of  his  old  strength  of  mind 
and  body  came  back  to  the  New  Englander.  He  had 
never  since  walked  upright,  except  when  supported 
by  two  strong  men,  and  in  the  main  had  been  dull  of 
apprehension  and  slow  of  utterance.  For  a  moment 
even  now,  he  hesitated,  as  if  to  collect  his  thoughts, 
but  ere  Don  Ramon  could  again  repeat  the  question, 
the  answer  came: 

"He  lay  wounded  in  the  arm  just  beyond  the  bat 
teries  of  La  Chamba,"  he  cried,  rising  to  his  feet  and 
grasping  one  of  the  slender  posts  of  the  canopy  for 
support.  "We  came  upon  him  while  scouting  toward 
the  castle,  and  drew  him  under  the  shade  of  a  great 
tree,  and  gave  him  drink.  When  we  came  back  to 
him  in  the  darkness,  under  the  fire  of  that  night's 
bombardment,  with  aid  and  litter,  he  was  dead, 
with  a  dagger  thrust  through  his  gallant  heart. 

"We  buried  him  like  a  soldier — "  He  would  have 
said  more,  but  he  fell  in  a  swoon,  breaking  down  the 
slender  canopy  across  the  litter  in  which  he  had  been 
borne  to  the  place  of  meeting,  and  the  servants,  at 
the  order  of  Olivarez,  bore  him  back  to  his  chamber. 


446  Cartagena 


"Are  you  mad?"  asked  Don  Ramon,  in  amazement. 
"Will  you  still  harbor  a  man  who,  is  not  only  an 
heretic  and  an  enemy,  but  possibly  the  murderer  of 
your  son.  If  not  the,  murderer,  he  must  have  num 
bered  among  his  comrades  the  perpetrator  of  the 
dastardly  deed,  and  profited  by  the  crime,  for  lie 
carries  the  pistols  worn  by  your  dead  boy.  and  con 
fesses  that  he  died,  not  by  chance  of  war,  but  the 
stroke  of  the  assassin's  dagger.  By  the  holy 
Mother!  It  shall  not  be.  If  you,  his  father,  have 
lost  the  natural  desire  for  vengeance  on  the  slayer  of 
your  son,  I  at  least  will  avenge  his  death,  and  speed 
ily." 

"Don  Kamon !"  said  Olivarez,  "this  sudden  zeal  to 
avenge  my  lost  Carlos  becomes  his  friend,  but  my 
house  is  not  a  theatre  for  violence,  and  yonder 
American's  guilt  must  be  proven;  for  if  he  fell  in 
honorable  warfare  even  by  dagger  thrust  given  at 
that  man's  hands,  he  should  go  free  cured  of  his 
wounds,  and  if  not  with  our  love,  at  least  with 
honor." 

"But  how  if  he  be  guilty  of  cruel  and  cowardly 
murder?"  asked  Don  Luiz,  savagely. 

"Then  he  shall  die  by  the  hands  that  should 
avenge  him." 

"Then,  senor,"  said  Don  Kamon,  "grant  me  the 
boon  of  avenging  on  his  murderer  the  death  of  Don 
Carlos." 

"Not  so,"  cried  Martinez  de  Herrera,  "I  claim  a 
better  right,  for  you  yourself  were  angry  at  Don 
Carlos,  and  the  presents  you  exchanged  had  been 
returned  when  he  went  under  Don  Bias  de  Lezo  to 
the  castle  at  Boca  Chica." 


•A.  Lioutrance  447 


"You  say  truly,"  said  Don  Ramon,  sorrowfully, 
"and  much  have  I  regretted  the  cause  and  the  man 
ner  of  our  estrangement.  The  holy  father,  Fray 
Carreno,  could  tell  you  that  I  have  done  penance  for 
my  sins,  and  though  Carlos  treated  me  scornfully 
in  returning  all  my  gifts,  yet  I  would  he  were  alive 
again  that  we  could  once  more  be  friends." 

"If  then,  Don  Ramon,  all  your  gifts  were  returned 
to  you,  whence  comes  it  that  this  poniard  given  by 
you  to  Don  Carlos,  and  returned  by  him  to  you,  was 
found  buried  in  the  heart  of  my  boy?" 

As  the  fatal  weapon  was  displayed  by  Olivarez, 
Ramon's  face  grew  even  whiter  than  was  wont,  and 
a  sudden  gleam,  threatening  and  dire  in  import  as 
the  flash  of  the  lightning,  lit  up  his  large  black  eyes. 
He  scanned  the  face  of  Fray  Carreno,  but  it  was 
impassive  and  unblenching,  and  he  knew  that  the 
dread  secrets  of  the  confessional  had  been  faithfully 
kept,  though  he  felt  the  vantage  ground  he  had 
deemed  so  surely  his  own  slipping  from  beneath  his 
feet. 

But  in  the  manner  of  Olivarez  and  the  face  of 
Don  Herrera,  he  saw  the  strong  suspicion  of  his 
guilt  growing  into  a  certainty,  and  hardening  into 
the  bitter  thirst  of  blood ;  but  he  was  strong  even  in 
that  supreme  peril,  and  spoke  calmly  and  courte 
ously  though  less  assuredly  than  before. 

"I  know  not,  Don  Olivarez,  what  dark  suspicion 
you  may  have  harbored  against  me ;  but  if,  indeed, 
poor  Don  Carlos  was  done  to  death  with  yonder 
dagger,  I  only  know  that  it  was  returned  to  me  in 
wrath  and  with  uncourtly  message,  and  I  angrily 


448  Cartagena 


threw  it  aside,  nor  have  since  cast  eyes  upon  it.  I 
may  well  have  lost  it,  for  this  is  my  third  servant 
since  that  day,  and  the  two  first  were  scant  of  hon 
esty  and  of  little  conscience." 

"Aye!  and  of  bloody  hand,  Colonel  de  Ramon," 
cried  Martinez  boldly ;  "and  especially  he  whom  men 
called  Carlos  the  Catalan,  who  was  spared  from  the 
gibbet  to  fight  manfully  in  the  siege  and  die  on  the 
field  of  battle,  only  because  Don  Sebastian  might 
not  spare  from  the  defense  of  the  city  even  a  hire 
ling  stabber  and  bloody  assassin." 

"Such,  indeed,  he  was;  yet  it  may  be  that  even 
he  may  have  been  guiltless  of  this  crime,  even  as  I 
myself.  Where  was  this  dagger  found,  Don  Oliva- 
rez?" 

"Beneath  the  cover  of  the  sergeant's  cartridge 
box,  placed  there,  as  we  think,  because  the  sheath 
was  wanting.  Go  in  peace  for  this  time,  Don  Luis, 
and  bethink  thee  that  were  such  scant  justice  meted 
to  thee,  as  thou  wouldst  have  measured  out  to  the 
helpless  stranger,  thou  wouldst  have  now  lain  mo 
tionless,  slain  by  my  hand." 

The  young  soldier  was  about  to  turn  scornfully 
away,  but  at  the  last  words  he  again  faced  the  as 
sembled  throng  and,  throwing  open  his  loose  cloak, 
seemed  to  invite  the  threatened  bullet.  "I  will  not 
go  thus,  Don  Olivarez.  Kather  would  I  die  by  your 
hand  than  thus  yield  up  your  friendship,  than  for 
feit  all  claim  to  the  hand  of  the  Senorita  Inez,  whom 
I  have  so  long  loved  in  secret  until  now.  Will  you 
deem  me  guilty  on  the  word  of  a  foreign  mercenary, 
or  the  presence  of  a  stolen  dagger  where  I  could  by 
no  means  have  been  myself?" 


A  L'outrance  449 


Olivarez  turned  wearily  toward  the  speaker,  who, 
for  the  first  time,  seemed  to  lay  aside  his  usual 
haughty  coldness  and  to  speak  from  a  full  heart. 
"Alas,  Don  Kamon,  you  alone  could  profit  by  the 
crime,  for  between  you  and  Don  Carlos  there  was  a 
feud  which  both  had  sworn  to  end  by  a  duel  to  the 
death.  Yet  can  I  hardly  think  that  fear  alone  would 
have  urged  thee  to  such  wickedness,  hadst  thou  not 
known  that  the  Senorita  Inez  would  bring  to  her 
spouse  such  a  dower,  as  would  more  than  pay  the 
creditors  who  await  thy  coming  in  Spain..  Trust 
me,  Don  Luis,  though  no  longer  in  the  world,  I  have 
well  guarded  my  child  and  the  wealth  I  leave  her; 
and  from  bodily  harm  I  trust  God  and  Our  Lady  to 
preserve  us.  But  enough  of  this,  the  dead  shall 
judge  between  us.  When  this  American  revives  he 
shall  lead  us,  to  the  grave  of  my  son,  and  his  cloth 
ing  at  least  will  be  left  to  tell  by  what  means  he 
died." 

"And  if  yonder  heretic's  story  be  true" — began 
Kamon,  scornfully. 

"Then,  Senor  Luis  de  Ramon,  guard  thyself  well, 
for  there  is  no  land  so  distant,  no  defence  so  strong, 
that  distance  or  security  shall  avail  to  rob  me  of  a 
father's  vengeance  on  the  slayer  of  his  son." 

"Hast  thou  no  homily  to  read  Don  Olivarez,  Sir 
Priest,"  said  the  Spaniard,  turning  haughtily  to 
Fray  Carreno,  who  had  listened  impassively  to  the 
conversation.  "Truly  he  hath  less  charity  to  one 
of  his  nation  and  faith,  than  for  a  heretic  enemy." 

"Nothing  that  would  avail,"  said  the  priest  sol 
emnly,  "and  why  should  I  hold  out  to  either  of  you, 


4:50  Cartagena 


false  hopes  or  unavailing  counsel.  I  know  you  well. 
Stubborn  of  heart  and  strong  of  hand  are  ye  both. 
Let  God  decide  between  you,  and  His  justice  fall 
on  the  assassin  or  assassins,  if  such  there  be." 

"A  most  Christian  wish,  Fray  Carreno,"  said  Don 
Luis,  vaulting  into  his  saddle,  and  bowing  until  his 
long  plume  swept  his  holster  cases.  But,  as  he 
turned  awTay,  a  slight  tremor  of  his  compressed  lips 
told  that  even  his  strong  self-repression  had  been 
shaken  by  the  ordeal  through  which  he  had  passed. 

Yet  before  his  barb  had  curvetted  and  caracolled 
a  mile,  the  old  debonair  carriage  was  again  re 
sumed,  and  an  evil  smile  played  around  the  sensuous 
mouth  and  passionate  eyes.  "Forewarned  is  fore 
armed  they  say,  and  having  avoided  one  duel  a 
Foutr<ance,  I  should  take  shame  were  I  not  to  end  at 
once  and  for  ever  all  fear  of  a  second.  I  must  give 
up  all  hope  of  a  friendly  alliance  it  is  true,  but  if 
the  Senorita  is  once  in  my  power,  and  fatherless," 
and  he  rode  on,  plotting  how  best  to  win  by  force, 
what  he  had  failed  to  secure  through  fairer  means. 

"When  go  you  to  Boca  Chica?"  asked  Fray  Car- 
reno,  as  the  gay  mantle  of  the  chevalier  was  lost 
to  view  amid  the  verdure  of  the  cocoas. 

"In  a  few  days  at  most;  that  is,  as  soon  as  the 
Senor  Hay  is  able  to  accompany  us,"  replied  Oliva- 
rez. 

"Go  to-night,"  said  the  priest,  meaningly,  "or  to 
morrow  night  at  farthest.  I  myself  will  get  you  a 
pass,  and  furnish  you  with  a  letter  to  a  friend  who 
has  a  bujio  on  the  Isle  of  Varu.  You  can  carry  the 
sick  man  in  a  litter,  and  if  aught  should  occur  here, 


A  L'outrance  451 


I  will  see  that  the  Senorita  Inez  is  guarded  against 
all  danger." 

"You  are  right.  I  will  give  orders  that  the  great 
canoe  be  made  ready,  and  we  will  start  in  the  even 
ing,  with  the  first  of  the  land  breeze.  It  will  not  be 
hard  to  disinter  poor  Carlos  and  be  back  by  night, 
as  we  shall  have  a  fair  wind  until  then.  Fear  not 
that  I  shall  not  have  full  protection  here.  With 
gold  and  steel,  I  might  almost  defy  the  wrath  of  the 
viceroy  himself." 

"Ah,  Don  Olivarez,  trust  not  too  much  in  thine 
own  strength  or  the  friendship  of  man ;  and  remem 
ber  that  if  the  serpent  is  weak  of  body,  his  stroke  is 
sure  and  his  bite  fatal.  Truly,  I  fear  me  that  thou 
wilt  yet  find  this  young  Spaniard  too  strong  and 
dangerous  an  adversary  to  be  despised." 

"God  grant  it!"  cried  Herrera,  gaily.  "I  hope 
well  that  we  may  end  all  debate  by  sure  bullet  or 
sharp  steel;  but  if  he  is  guilty,  and  Don  Olivarez 
fail,  he  shall  not  escape  the  vengeance  of  Martinez 
de  Herrera." 


Chapter  XXXII. 

Acliarne 

But  even  Olivarez  could  not  fathom  the  quick 
revulsion  from  sordid  love  to  bitter  hate,  from  quiet 
security  to  malignant  fear,  from  well-conceived 
policy  to  the  fevered  thirst  of  revenge  which  filled 
the  heart  of  Don  Luis  de  Kamon,  as  he  urged  his 
light  barb  up  the  wooded  slopes  toward  his  quarters 
at  San  Lazaro. 

An  hour  later,  fully  armed,  and  seated  on  a  strong 
charger,  he  issued  from  the  fortress  and  rode  into 
the  city,  having  announced  to  his  comrades  that  he 
should  not  return  until  the  following  day,  or  per 
haps  even  later. 

That  evening,  after  Felix  the  Biscayan  had  led 
out  his  volunteer  guard  for  the  night,  Olivarez  and 
Herrera  sat  in  the  porter's  lodge,  listening  to 
the  storm  without;  for  it  was  now  in  the  height  of 
the  rainy  season,  and  heavy  torrents  of  rain  rattled 
upon  the  slated  roof,  and  almost  incessant  sheets  of 
lightning  followed  by  terrific  rolling  bursts  of  thun 
der,  made  conversation  nearly  impossible. 

Suddenly,  in  the  interval  between  two  severe 
flashes,  the  gate-bell  jangled  fiercely,  and  the  porter, 
going  into  the  covered  archway,  let  in  through  the 
wicket-gate  an  inmate  of  the  hospital,  drenched  to 
the  skin,  and  panting  with  fear  and  exertion. 

A  woman  without  beauty,  a  maiden  old  before 
her  time,  clad  in  a  beggar's  rags  and  carrying  the 


Acharne'  453 


mendicant's  alms-bag;  possessed  of  life  and  energy, 
yet  more  horrible  to  view  than  the  dying  or  the  dead 
— such  was  the  person  who  now  knelt  at  the  feet  of 
Don  Olivarez. 

"What  is  it,  Maria?  and  what  hath  brought  thee 
from  the  city  at  such  an  hour  as  this?  Surely, 
though  shut  out  from  the  city,  the  empty  ware 
houses  of  Xexemani  had  sheltered  thee,  as  oft  be 
fore.  Yet  say  on;  I  will  hear,  and,  if  I  may,  help 
thee." 

"I  want  no  help,"  said  the  newcomer,  in  an  al 
most  indistinguishable,  muffled  tone;  "but  I  know 
that  if  something  be  not  done  to  help  her,  the  Dona 
Inez  will  find  herself  in  perilous  straits." 

"The  Dona  Inez?  What  meanest  thou?  For 
heaven's  sake,  speak  quickly,"  began  Herrera; 
but  Olivarez,  who  better  knew  the  character  of  the 
messenger,  placed  his  finger  on  his  lips  and  said 
quietly:  "What  hast  heard  or  seen,  Maria?" 

"I  did  go  to  the  warehouses,"  said  she  promptly, 
"and  went  to  sleep  in  a  great  barrel,  such  as  they 
bring  the  leaves  of  tobacco  in  from  Cuba,  but  in 
came  a  lot  of  sailors  with  lanterns,  and  by  and  by 
the  handsome  colonel  of  the  great  fort  of  San  Laza- 
ro.  He  looked  about  a  little,  but  did  not  see  me, 
and  I  lay  still  and  looked  through  a  knot  hole  in  a 
stave.  Then  they  began  to  talk  of  killing  heretics 
and  burning  houses ;  but  the  senorita  was  to  be  car 
ried  off  to  the  mountains,  for  Ferdinand  Balthazar, 
who  was  outlawed  until  the  siege,  was  there,  too, 
with  several  of  his  guerritieros" 

"When  wall  they  come?"  asked  Olivarez  quietly. 


454  Cartagena 


"When  the  rain  is  over,  if  it  clears  to-night,  for  the 
colonel  said  'They  go  to-morrow  to  Boca  Chica,  and 
besides,  they  will  not  look  for  us  in  such  weather  as 
this.' " 

"How  did  you  get  out  to  come  here?" 

"They  were  some  of  them  wet,  and  made  a  fire  in 
the  next  warehouse  to  dry  their  clothes,  and  at  last 
all  went  in  there  and  I  was  alone." 

"The  sky  is  clearing,  Don  Olivarez,"  said  the  old 
porter,  as  he  again  entered  and  placed  upon  the 
table  the  wine  and  bread  he  was  instructed  to  pro 
vide  for  the  watch.  "Will  you  not  take  a  little  of 
this  kid  yourself,  Senor?  'Tis  a  fine  animal  and 
deliciously  basted  and  browned." 

"I  care  not  for  meat  at  such  a  time  as  this,  yet, 
Don  Herrera,  before  we  part  to  gather  the  rest  of 
the  men,  I  will  drink  one  toast  with  thee.  I  may 
not  wish  thee  a  speedy  death,  even  in  battle;  yet, 
were  it  not  that  I  still  must  watch  over  my  Inez,  I 
would  gladly  believe  that,  in  a  few  hours  at  least, 
my  hopeless  life  might  be  over." 

"I,  at  least,"  said  Herrera,  "have  no  doubts.  Fill 
high,  Don  Olivarez,  and  drink  to  my  toast.  To  the 
despised,  a  death  swrord  in  hand;  to  the  hand  red 
with  the  leper's  blood,  a  leper's  fate." 

Solemnly  yet  hurriedly  the  toast  was  pledged, 
and,  leaving  the  half  'insane  woman  at  the  table, 
Olivarez  and  Herrera  hastened  to  gather  their  men 
and  collected  them  in  the  gateway,  sending  out  one 
of  the  number  to  seek  out  the  Biscayan  and  warn 
him  of  the  approaching  danger. 

Felix  had,  as  usual,  bestowed  his  men  in  certain 


Acharu£  455 


cattle  sheds  and  other  places  of  shelter,  where,  se 
cure  from  the  rain  and  rendered  somnolent  by  the 
din  of  the  elements,  they  had  all  fallen  asleep,  inso 
much  that  long  before  the  messenger  had  finished 
his  story,  and  the  ci  dcvant  privateer  had  got  his  men 
all  together  and  ready  to  take  post  around  the  cot 
tage,  they  heard  the  deep  baying  of  the  hounds,  fol 
lowed  by  several  pistol  shots,  the  clash  of  steel  and 
sounds  like  those  of  a  throttled  dog  and  a  man  in 
mortal  agony. 

The  Biscayan  did  not  hesitate,  but  crying  out  to 
his  associates  rushed  toward  the  cottage,  and  broke 
into  the  road,  just  as  a  sharp  volley  rattled  from  the 
windows  of  the  besieged  mansion. 

Ferdinand  Balthazar  had  been  first  to  clear  the 
gateway,  and  Bravo,  the  largest  of  the  bloodhounds, 
seized  him  by  the  throat  and  bore  him  to  the  ground, 
despite  the  efforts  of  his  comrades,  who  rained  cuts 
upon  his  clenched  jaws  and  discharged  pistol  after 
pistol  into  his  huge  body.  He,  indeed,  soon  lay  as 
if  dead,  but  so  did  Balthazar;  and  before  the  bloody 
jaws  could  be  unclasped  from  their  deadly  hold,  the 
other  three  hounds  were  loosed  from  the  stables 
and  rushed  upon  the  assailants,  while  the  major- 
domo  and  his  fellow  servants  threw  in  the  fire  of 
their  muskets  and  pistols  from  the  upper  rooms,  as 
we  have  said. 

The  terrible  and  unyielding  assault  of  the  dogs, 
whose  headlong  courage  knew  only  to  attack,  did 
more  to  delay  and  hinder  the  assailants  than  the  ef 
fect  of  the  f usilade ;  and  when  Felix  appeared  upon 
the  scene  only  a  confused  group  of  fighting  men  and 


456  Cartagena 


dogs  was  visible,  and  thinking  himself  fully  able  to 
cope  with  a  party  not  exceeding  his  own  he  rushed 
towards  the  gate,  raising  as  a  war  cry  the  shout 
of  "San  Lazaro." 

But  from  a  small  copse  nearly  opposite  the  house, 
a  volley  issued,  almost  blinding  the  few  uninjured 
by  its  missiles,  so  close  were  the  muzzles  of  the  pis 
tols  to  the  bodies  of  the  victims;  but,  though  the 
Biscayan  staggered  and  put  his  hand  to  his  breast, 
he  turned  like  a  wounded  lion,  and  was  soon  cross 
ing  swords  with  the  reserve  of  the  attacking  force, 
a  dozen  men  at  least,  all  of  whom  were  masked,  but 
evidently  of  the  naval  force,  left  without  vessels  by 
the  success  of  the  English  fleet. 

Two  desperate  cuts  disposed  of  his  foremost  an 
tagonists,  but  a  third  opponent,  who  was  singularly 
silent  of  demeanor,  made  a  single  lunge  with  a  long 
basket-hilted  rapier,  and,  without  a  word,  the  ex- 
privateersman  met  the  death  for  which  he  had 
longed  ever  since  the  first  fatal  plague  spot  had  shut 
him  out  from  human  companionship.  His  slayer 
uttered  a  single  ejaculation  of  disgust  as  the  hot 
blood  covered  his  hand  and  soiled  the  shell  of  his 
rapier,  but  he  issued  with  his  men  from  their  am 
bush  and  hastened  to  join  the  attacking  party  at 
the  house. 

There  the  dogs  had  at  last  been  silenced,  but  not 
before  several  men  had  been  disabled  by  their  fangs 
and  as  many  more  had  fallen  by  the  fire  from  the 
windows;  but  the  survivors  seemed  maddened  with 
liquor  and  the  lust  of  blood,  and,  at  the  direction 
of  their  leader,  tore  from  the  palisade  a  heavy  plank, 


AchariHS  457 


to  be  used  as  a  battering  ram  against  the  iron  bars 
of  the  windows  and  the  barred  and  bolted  doors  of 
the  cottage. 

"Forward,  forward,  comrades!  Death  to  traitors 
and  heretics!  Twenty  reals  for  the  fair  Inez,  and 
ten  for  the  head  of  the  Englishman,"  cried  the 
masked  leader,  as  he  hurriedly  directed  his  men  to 
remove  their  fallen  comrades  from  the  narrow  path, 
and  prepare  for  a  rush  against  the  iron-studded  por 
tal. 

With  shouts  of  "Mueran  los  hercticos!"  and  cries 
in  which  obscenity  and  hate  were  strangely  blended, 
the  wounded  were  hastily  dragged  into  the  cover  of 
the  garden  shrubbery,  and  the  improvised  battering 
rani  made  ready  for  the  assault.  The  leader  placed 
himself  a  little  to  one  side  of  the  paved  way,  and  as 
he  did  so,  a  volley  from  the  windows  swept  his  som 
brero  from  his  head  and  cut  down  the  leading  file. 

"Anda!  Anda!"  he  cried,  savagely;  but  at  this  mo 
ment  a  dull,  heavy  clang  broke  upon  the  midnight 
air,  as  the  great  bell  of  the  hospital  called  for  as 
sistance  from  the  garrison  of  the  city. 

"Perdition!"  hissed  the  masked  leader,  fiercely. 
"We  shall  fail  after  all.  Hola,  Andreas!  Let  the 
dead  lie;  waste  no  more  time  over  them.  Up  with 
the  beam  and  break  in  yonder  door.  Slay  the  men 
—save  the  women.  There  is  silver  and  gold  enough 
for  you  all,  and  it  is  yours  for  the  taking." 

With  a  yell,  the  ruffians  raised  the  heavy  log  and 
rushed  headlong  toward  the  door,  this  time  without 
receiving  a  discharge  from  the  windows,  which 
seemed  deserted.  The  ram  struck  the  door  fairly  in 


458  Cartagena 


the  centre  and  dashed  out  a  small  panel  like  a 
wicket,  revealing  the  fact  that  it  was  really  an  iron 
grating  filled  in  with  precious  woods. 

As  they  recoiled  for  a  second  rush  a  pistol  was 
fired  through  the  aperture,  and  another  man  went  to 
the  rear  with  a  broken  arm;  but  again  and  again 
the  blows  were  repeated,  until  half  of  the  filled  in 
wood  had  been  torn  away,  and  from  the  patio y  or  cen 
tral  vestibule,  pistol  and  musket  flashed  angrily  as 
the  maddened  horde  again  and  again  surged  up 
against  the  ironwork. 

Suddenly  their  leader,  for  the  first  time,  gave  his 
own  strength  to  the  task,  taking  the  place  of  a  dis 
abled  sailor,  and  directing  the  blow  of  the  ram  up 
on  the  hinges  of  the  grating.  At  the  first  stroke 
they  yielded;  a  second  left  the  lower  valve  broken 
and  awry,  and  at  the  third  the  door  was  forced  in 
ward,  bringing  up  upon  three  stout  pillars,  but  leav 
ing  a  narrow  aperture  through  which  a  single  man 
might  pass. 

Dropping  their  useless  burden,  the  ruffians  drew 
their  cutlasses  and  knives  and  attempted  to  force 
their  way  in,  but  the  first,  as  he  passed  into  the 
vestibule,  now  strangely  silent,  fell  without  a  groan 
under  a  tremendous  blow,  dealt  by  some  person  of 
whom  nothing  could  t>e  seen  in  the  darkness ;  and 
with  half  stifled  curses  his  comrades  drew  back,  re 
fusing  to  expose  themselves  to  certain  destruction, 
and  a  fierce  cry  of  "Fuego!  Fuego!"  rose  upon  the 
night. 

Evidently  this  contingency  had  not  been  unfor- 
seen,  for  at  the  word  a  general  rush  was  made  for 


A  char  ii(3  459 


the  road,  and  returning  one  by  one,  each  man  laid 
against  the  door  a  prepared  fagot,  and  the  last,  as  he 
turned  to  go,  discharged  a  pistol  into  the  mass.  A 
cloud  of  smoke  and  intensely  hot  flame  followed, 
and  though  the  incendiary  was  wounded,  and  sev 
eral  buckets  of  water  were  dashed  through  the 
broken  door,  the  central  part  of  the  mass  seemed 
too  combustible  to  yield,  and  the  fumes  evolved 
made  it  impossible  for  the  defenders  to  stay  longer 
in  the  patio. 

By  the  light  of  the  flames,  several  persons  were 
seen  to  disappear  from  their  several  posts  of  van 
tage,  the  last  being  a  tall  and  emaciated  man,  who 
carried  in  his  hands  a  woodman's  axe;  but  though  it 
was  evident  that  the  cottage  was  doomed,  and  the 
inner  fittings  were  soon  blazing  fiercely,  the  tri 
umph  of  the  marauders  was  of  short  duration. 

Suddenly  from  either  flank  of  the  cottage,  two 
parties  advancing  from  behind  it,  poured  in  a  with 
ering  fire,  and  with  the  utmost  fury  sprang  upon 
the  marauding  party,  who,  nevertheless,  for  a  mo 
ment,  stood  to  their  arms  stoutly,  as  if  in  disdain  of 
even  double  their  number  of  undisciplined  antago 
nists.  But  when  the  newcomers  issued  into  the 
full  glare  of  the  flames,  led  by  Olivarez  and 
Herrera,  the  boldest  recoiled  at  the  terrible  aspect 
of  men  whose  angry  eyes  shone  from  faces  no  longer 
human,  but  rather  like  the  frightful  creations  with 
which  the  artists  of  that  day  filled  their  efforts  to 
illustrate  the  abode  of  lost  souls. 

"Los  dcmonios!  los  dcmonios  T  they  cried,  long  be 
fore  the  breathless  rescuers  could  come  within 


460  Cartagena 


sword  reach,  and  only  the  leader  stopped  for  a  mo 
ment  and  exchanged  a  few  thrusts  with  Martinez  de 
Herrera,  who  led  his  friends  by  some  distance. 

"Die,  fool !"  was  the  only  word  uttered  by  the  un 
known,  as  with  fatal  skill  he  sent  the  rapier  of  the 
unfortunate  youth  a  dozen  feet  into  the  air,  and 
with  the  succeeding  thrust  felt  the  hilt  of  his  sword 
strike  against  the  breast  bone  of  his  victim.  With 
a  terrible  cry  Herrera  grasped  with  a  death  clutch 
the  delicate  basket  hilt  of  inlaid  steel,  so  that,  de 
spite  his  efforts,  the  victor  was  obliged  to  leave  his 
weapon  in  the  body  of  the  dying  man ;  and,  five  min 
utes  later,  Olivarez  and  his  following  stood  alone 
with  the  dead  around  them,  and  the  friends  they 
had  rescued  were  on  their  way  to  the  shelter  of  the 
great  Sinu  hulk  or  piroga,  where  alone  they  could 
find  fitting  refuge. 

Over  Herrera  Olivarez  bent  in  tears;  the  last 
rites  for  the  dying  had  been  performed  by  Fray 
Carreno,  and  the  youth,  though  near  his  end,  could 
still  articulate  his  last  wishes.  "I  have  but  one 
more  wish,"  he  whispered  feebly;  "let  me  see  the 
Dona  Inez,  and  hear  her  voice  once  more  ere  the 
sword  is  withdrawn." 

At  a  word  from  Olivarez,  his  daughter  turned 
back  from  following  the  slaves  and  litter  to  the 
canoe,  and  was  told  of  the  wish  of  the  dying  man. 
She  was  trembling  with  emotion,  but  at  her  waist 
were  a  brace  of  tiny  pistols,  her  taper  fingers  still 
showed  the  traces  of  the  burnt  priming,  and  she 
hesitated  not  at  that  supreme  moment,  to  speak  fit 
tingly  to  one  who  had  willingly  sought  death  for  her 


A  charm*  401 


"Martinez  de  Herrera,"  said  she,  softly,  "you  have 
ever  been  to  me  a  true  Mend,  and  had  not  God  for 
some  reason  come  between  us,  I  could  have  hoped 
for  the  love  of  no  truer  cavalier  in  all  the  cities  of 
the  Spanish  Main.  I  can  now  give  thee  nothing  but 
weak  thanks,  the  promise  of  my  prayers  in  life  and 
death,  and  this  sign  of  the  kiss,  with  wrhich  I  hope 
hereafter  to  greet  thee  in  Paradise." 

As  she  said  this  she  kissed  the  tips  of  her  fingers, 
and  would  have  laid  it  upon  his  forehead,  but  the 
priest  interposed  his  crucifix,  and  the  dying  man 
himself  repulsed  her  by  a  sign,  though  his  eye 
flashed  with  a  brighter  light,  and  a  faint  flush  came 
back  to  his  paling  cheek. 

"It  is  enough,"  he  said,  more  firmly  than  before. 
"I  thank  you  for  your  great  favor  to  one  who  deems 
himself  fortunate — .  Alas!  I  can  bear  the  pain  no 
longer.  Don  Kamon  has  my  blood  on  his  hands. 
Draw  out  his  rapier.  In  manos  tuos  Domine — "  but 
ere  the  blade  was  withdrawn  he  was  dead. 

"There  needs  no  further  proof  of  Don  Ramon's 
villainy,  and  he  shall  answer  it  before  the  viceroy  at 
once,"  said  Olivarez,  hotly. 

"Who  will  prefer  the  charge  against  him,"  said 
Fray  Carreno,  quietly. 

"I,  of  course,"  said  Olivarez,  in  some  surprise 
at  the  question. 

The  priest  took  his  friend  aside.  "It  were  better 
not,  believe  me,  Senor  Olivarez,  for  Don  Ramon  is 
nearly  related  to  the  viceroy,  and  thou  art  an  out 
cast,  though  rich  and  generous.  Moreover,  there 
are  those  of  the  Holy  Office,  who  would  gladly  see 


462  Cartagena 


thy  wealth  in  the  coffers  of  the  church;  and  there 
are  no  want  of  those  who  whisper  that  thou  art  at 
heart  an  heretic  and  an  enemy." 

In  spite  of  his  tried  nerves  Olivarez  felt  his  blood 
run  chill,  for  he  had  seen  only  too  much  of  this  ter 
rible  powrer  which  the  simply  clad  Jesuits  could  still 
exercise;  though  no  one  had  actually  expiated  here 
sy  by  a  public  auto  da  fe  for  many  years.  At  last  he 
broke  the  silence. 

"You  are  wiser  than  I,  Fray  Carreno.  What  shall 
I  do  in  this  new  strait?" 

"Bid  adieu  to  us  here.  Take  thy  gold  and  arms, 
thy  servants  and  the  stranger  thou  hast  sheltered. 
The  ocean  is  wide,  the  wilderness  is  trackless,  and  in 
other  lands  thou  mayst  find  the  rest  which  even  here 
is  denied  thee." 

"And  Don  Kamon?"  said  Olivarez,  with  hardly 
restrained  ferocity. 

"Leave  him  to  the  justice  of  God.  If,  indeed,  this 
is  his  rapier,  and  a  single  drop  of  our  poor  comrade's 
blood  has  mingled  with  his,  then  even  you  can  wish 
him  no  more  horrible  fate  than  too  surely  awaits 
him.  The  shafts  of  the  Caribs  are  less  surely  fatal, 
than  the  poisoned  blood  of  the  children  of  San  La- 
zaro." 

"Enough!  I  will  do  as  you  have  said.  Let  us 
gather  up  our  dead  and  help  the  wounded.  I  have 
already  given  you  directions  as  to  what  is  to  be 
done,  for  those  who  risked  life  and  limb  for  me  and 
mine.  Let  all  be  done,  as  if  I  had  fallen  in  the  fight. 
Farewell,  gallant  Martinez!  farewell,  brave  Felix!  I 
may  weep  my  own  loss  of  true  comrades  in  misfor- 


Acharne'  463 


tune,  but  not  the  death  ye  have  died.  Better  to  die 
thus  than  to  linger  out  in  pain  and  decay,  until  the 
brain  yields  and  the  body  becomes  a  living  tomb. 
God  grant  such  a  death  as  yours  to  me." 

"It  would  be  no  miracle  if  thy  prayers  were  soon 
answered,  comrade,"  said  the  priest,  grimly.  "Tell 
no  one  thy  course;  avoid  the  routes  of  trade;  hasten 
to  bid  us  adieu  if  thou  art  wise." 


Chapter  XXXIII. 
In  the  Wilderness 

In  a  few  hours  the  needed  preparations  were 
made,  and,  with  a  small  crew  of  her  own  servants, 
and  a  swift  canoe,  less  roomy  than  the  heavy  Sinu 
hulk  which  had  at  first  been  prepared ;  the  Senorita 
Inez,  with  her  maid,  and  Stephen,  still  weak  from 
the  desperate  defence  of  the  grated  door,  pushed  off 
from  the  landing,  and  paddled  through  narrow  chan 
nels,  over  reedy  shallows,  and  among  island  patches 
of  mangrove,  toward  the  western  shore  of  the  great 
Bay  of  Cartagena. 

Don  Olivarez  followed,  an  hour  later,  alone,  in  a 
small  canoe  of  exceeding  speed  and  lightness,  com 
ing  up  with  the  party  just  after  they  had  passed 
through  the  narrow  strait  at  Texar  de  Gracias,  and 
with  them  turned  up  a  deep  lagoon,  which,  some 
four  leagues  from  Cartagena,  is  lost  amid  the  foli 
age  of  an  almost  impervious  forest. 

The  heavy  mists  were  rising  with  the  first  coming 
of  day,  and  it  was  difficult  to  discern  plainly  the  na 
ture  of  the  scenery  on  either  hand;  but  Olivarez, 
with  long,  powerful  strokes,  led  the  way  in  his  light 
Balsa,  and  the  others  followed  silently  enough,  for 
Inez  was  almost  stupefied  with  grief,  sorrow  and 
weariness,  and  the  slaves  were  worn  out  with  the 
night's  perils  and  labors. 

Suddenly  Olivarez  turned  at  right  angles  to 
their  former  course,  and,  calling  to  the  major- 


In  the  Wilderness  405 

domo  to  follow,  swept  his  canoe  strongly  against 
what  seemed  a  wall  of  foliage,  and,  depress 
ing  his  head,  pierced  through  the  interlacing 
branches,  and,  the  larger  canoe  closely  following, 
entered  a  narrow  channel,  which,  from  a  deep  and 
motionless  pool,  soon  became  a  stream  of  considera 
ble  swiftness,  whose  ascent  was  quickly  barred  by 
an  abrupt  fall,  above  which  the  stream  was  broken 
by  unnavigable  rapids.  Here  dwelt  a  peasant,  who, 
at  the  command  of  Olivarez,  saddled  half  a  score  of 
mules,  on  which  the  few  articles  of  baggage  carried 
by  the  party  were  packed;  after  which  the  canoes 
were  dragged  into  the  recesses  of  a  thorny  chappa- 
ral,  and  hidden  under  a  mass  of  lianas  and  passion 
flowers. 

Then,  taking  a  path  leading  nearly  southeast,  Oli 
varez  led  the  way  by  a  path  known  only  to  the  hun 
ter  and  roving  India  Bravo,  toward  the  great  river 
Magdalena,  by  way  of  which  he  hoped  at  the  close  of 
the  rainy  season  to  penetrate  to  the  great  city  of 
Popoyan,  and  crossing  the  mountains  to  take  ship 
for  Spain  or  France. 

For  the  present  he  hoped  to  avoid  the  search 
which  he  knew  Don  Ramon  would  at  once  initiate, 
and  pursue  with  all  the  untiring  malignity  of  his 
nature ;  for,  with  the  rainy  season  now  nearly  at  its 
height,  travel  was  almost  impossible  and  almost 
certainly  fatal  to  a  person  unacclimated  and  weak 
ened  by  disease,  or  to  a  young  girl  unused  to  such 
hardship  and  severe  exposure. 

When  fairly  among  the  hills  a  small  stream  was 
reached,  which,  crossing  the  path,  presented  in  sum- 


466  Cartagena 


nier  only  a  slender  rivulet  flowing  over  golden  sands 
or  beds  of  small,  round  pebbles,  at  times  scarcely 
moist  with  the  scanty  flow.  Now  it  was  a  turbid 
and  brawling  brook,  in  wrhich  the  lower  branches  of 
the  fringing  shrubbery  were  covered  by  the  swollen 
torrent;  and  no  one  would  ever  dream  that  this  safe, 
and  in  former  days  often  traveled  path,  covered 
knee  deep  by  the  heavy  rains,  led  to  a  place  of  safety 
in  the  ravines  of  the  low  range. 

Turning  the  head  of  his  mule  up  stream,  Olivarez 
led  the  way  for  a  mile  at  least  until  the  forest  cov 
ered  gulch  ended  in  a  cul-de-sac,  into  which,  over  an 
overhanging  cliff  full  fifty  feet  in  height,  the  upper 
springs  sent  their  flow  in  a  shimmering  veil  into  a 
foaming  pool  below,  cut  by  the  action  of  the  water 
from  a  solid  ledge  of  sienite,  upon  whose  shelving 
border  the  mules,  one  by  one,  emerged.  Dismount 
ing,  Olivarez  led  the  way  toward  the  fall,  and  visi 
ble  through  the  falling  waters  was  seen  to  partially 
ascend  the  cliff  and  disappear.  A  few  moments 
after  he  returned,  and  motioning  the  party  to  follow 
led  them  to  their  novel  place  of  refuge. 

It  was  merely  a  cavern  in  the  rock, — probably  the 
creation  of  some  earthquake  or  other  convulsion  of 
nature;  for  the  fragments  torn  from  the  overhang 
ing  cliff  had  formed  an  ascent  to  its  mouth,  and  both 
cavern  and  incline  had  been  greatly  improved  by 
the  hands  of  former  visitors. 

The  cavity,  equal  in  size  to  a  room  of  sixteen 
feet  square,  had  had  its  irregular  bottom  built 
up  to  a  perfect  level  and  floored  with  dry  sand,  and 
the  mouth,  closed  by  a  wall  of  hewed  planking,  had 


In  the  Wilderness  467 

both  door  and  windows;  while  within,  certain 
empty  barrels,  boxes  and  wornout  tools  hinted  at 
once  to  the  initiated,  that  the  headquarters  of  a  gang 
of  smugglers  had  undoubtedly  been  held  here  at  no 
distant  period. 

Hastily  the  lading  of  the  mules  was  brought 
inside;  for  the  sky,  long  threatening,  was  suddenly 
overcast,  and  a  tremendous  thunder  storm  soon  fol 
lowed.  The  lightning  was  almost  incessant,  the 
rain  fell  in  such  torrents  that  the  fall  of  water  be 
fore  the  entrance  became  almost  a  solid  greenish 
wall,  and  the  thunder,  reverberating  amid  the 
gorges,  put  to  shame  in  its  terrible  fury  the  heaviest 
bombardment  of  the  siege. 

Nevertheless,  candles  were  produced  and  lighted, 
and  by  their  feeble  illumination  the  debris  left  by 
former  occupants  was  cleared  out,  and  heavy 
screens,  stretched  from  massive  rings  already  set 
in  the  rocks,  divided  off  the  rear  end  of  the  cavern 
into  an  apartment  for  Inez  and  her  little  maid. 
Hammocks  were  slung  for  the  others,  and  the  horse 
litter  in  which  Hay  had  been  borne  hither  placed 
in  the  cheeriest  nook  of  a  place  at  the  best  dungeon- 
like  and  gloomy,  but  in  all  other  respects  comfort 
able,  and — as  Olivarez  grimly  remarked  to  his  as 
sistant,  the  old  peasant — accessible  but  by  one  path, 
and  that  narrow,  steep  and  easily  held  against  at 
tack. 

"Many  a  gallant  carouse  we  have  had  herein," 
said  the  old  man,  with  a  strange  heartiness  and 
boldness  of  manner,  "and  great  gain  have  certain 
merchants  of  Cartagena,  some  of  them  dead  long 


4G8  Cartagena 


ago,  received  from  the  trade  in  English  cottons, 
hardware,  powder  and  spirits,  stored  here  and  sent 
by  night  to  the  city  when  wanted." 

"Few  there  be  now  living,  honest  Sanchez,"  re 
plied  the  fugitive,  "who  know  of  the  whereabouts 
of  this  place  of  refuge,  for  most  of  our  companions 
have  long  since  passed  from  the  ranks  of  the  Breth 
ren  of  the  Coast.  Nevertheless,  I  hope  thou  hast 
kept  thine  oath,  and  the  secret  of  the  cave." 

Sanchez  hesitated  an  instant,  but  quickly  re 
sponded:  "There  is  but  one  who  knows  of  this 
place,  and  he  by  no  fault  of  mine,  though  for  the 
sake  of  poor  Juanita,  my  only  daughter,  I  could  not 
bring  myself  to  slay  the  discoverer  of  the  secret; 
and  all  the  more  that  I  dreamed  not  that  it  would 
ever  be  used  again." 

"God  forbid  that  the  dread  and  cruel  compact 
should  be  of  force  sufficient  to  compass  an  useless 
murder,"  cried  Olivarez,  "but  who  has  found  out 
the  existence  of  a  place,  for  so  many  years  known 
only  to  our  old  band?" 

"Ferdinand  Balthazar,  a  nephew  of  mine,  the 
most  fearless  hunter  of  these  mountains,  followed 
to  this  glen  a  wounded  tiger  whose  shoulder  he  had 
broken  with  a  bullet.  He  told  me  of  his  discovery, 
and  promised  to  keep  it  secret  as  soon  as  I  told  him 
that  I  had  long  known  of  the  place." 

"And  this  Balthazar?  Where  is  he  now?"  asked 
Olivarez,  with  evident  uneasiness. 

"He  led  to  the  defence  of  Cartagena  a  small  com 
pany  of  hunters,  three  of  them  being  his  own  broth 
ers.  We  have  heard  but  little  from  him  except  that 


In  the  Wilderness  469 

he  lost  a  brother  in  scouting,  and  has  sworn  deadly 
vengeance  on  all  Englishmen.  It  is  not  likely  that 
he  will  seek  these  woods,  however,  until  the  little 
summer  of  St.  John." 

"Well,  Sanchez,  it  may  not  matter,  but  I  wish  he 
had  never  known  of  the  cave.  Hasten  home  now 
that  the  storm  is  over,  and  when  the  great  canoe 
comes  to-night,  keep  her  in  the  outer  lagoon  and  let 
no  man  follow  you  or  your  mules  in  bringing  her 
lading  hither.  Get  us  up  the  food,  coal  and  braziers 
first,  and  afterward  the  other  articles.  And  hear 
me!  I  must  not  stay  here  with  the  others.  Does 
the  old  guard  hut  still  stand  at  the  bend  of  the 
stream?" 

"No,  Senor,  it  rotted  down  a  year  or  more  ago, 
and  you  must  trust  to  double  canvas ;  for  my  part  I 
had  far  rather,  than  live  in  that  underground  place, 
though,  to  be  sure,  the  cave  is  dryer  and  safer  in 
anything  but  an  earthquake." 

"  'Twill  serve  our  turn,  Sanchez,"  said  Olivarez, 
wearily,  "for  know  that  this  Balthazar  joined  in  the 
attack  of  which  I  told  thee,  and  though  he  was 
severely  wounded,  wrill  doubtless  recover  before  we 
can  start  up  the  great  river.  Now  choose  like  a 
man  your  part,  for  or  against  your  old  comrade,  and 
go  in  peace  to  aid  or  betray  us." 

For  a  moment  Sanchez  seemed  to  hesitate;  a 
great  sadness  settled  in  his  eyes,  and  it  seemed  as  if 
his  throat  was  parched  and  choking,  but  with  an 
effort  he  became  again  the  trusted  servitor  and  tried 
comrade. 

"Balthazar!     This   will   be  woeful  news  to  my 


470  Cartagena 


sweet  Juanita,  but  the  poor  lad  erred  from  desire 
of  vengeance  and  not  lust  of  gold  I'll  be  sworn. 
However,  if  you  say  the  word,  he  shall  never  again 
set  eyes  on  daughter  of  mine.  For  the  rest  I  have 
not  forgotten  the  mutiny  at  Isle  Vache,  and  how 
you  saved  my  life  when  well-nigh  sped.  May — " 
but  the  deep  voice  of  Olivarez  cut  short  the  intended 
oath. 

"Let  be,  old  shipmate!  Oaths  are  not  needed  be 
tween  comrades  who  have  suffered,  fought,  aye,  and 
sinned  grievously  for  each  other.  Keep  well  our 
secret,  warn  us  of  danger,  and  thou  shalt  not  lack 
for  gold  enough  to  keep  thee  in  comfort  to  the  end." 

The  clouds  ceased  for  a  time  to  inundate  the 
earth,  and  Sanchez  and  his  mules  set  out  for  home, 
from  which  the  next  day  he  came  with  a  small  tent 
and  other  necessaries.  The  tent  was  set  near  the 
door  of  the  cave,  but  hidden  by  a  heavy  growth  of 
palms,  yuccas  and  other  tropical  foliage,  nourished 
by  the  spray  of  the  waterfall,  and  overhanging  the 
further  end  of  the  broken  platform  under  the  cas 
cade. 

Here  in  the  succeeding  weeks  which  followed  the 
party  lived  in  complete  seclusion,  in  much  comfort 
and  some  luxury,  for  Sanchez  almost  daily  sent  up 
fish,  plantains,  guavas,  yams  and  other  provisions; 
and  Jose',  who  was  a  Mestizo  or  half-blood  Indian, 
made  himself  a  bow  and  arrows,  and  brought  in 
squirrels,  parrots,  iguanas  and  other  tropical  game, 
while  pulpy  granadillos,  papayas  and  other  forest 
fruits  were  to  be  had  for  the  gathering. 

To   be   sure   there   were  unpleasant   visitors   at 


In   the   \Yilderness  471 

times,  such  as  bats,  which  more  than  once  were 
found  to  have  entered  at  night  and  bled  members 
of  the  party  while  sleeping  somewhat  too  soundly  for 
their  good,  and  the  hair  riata  stiff  and  rough  with 
bristly  points,  stretched  in  a  semicircle  before  the 
entrance,  turned  back  more  than  one  cascabdo  and 
several  delicate  but  fatal  coralcs  from  noiselessly 
intruding  during  the  hours  of  darkness. 

Meanwhile,  Stephen  recovered  his  strength  rapid 
ly,  and  by  the  end  of  July,  when  the  "little  summer 
of  St.  John''  brings  back  comparatively  dry  weather 
and  cool,  refreshing  breezes,  he  had  regained  his 
old  beauty,  somewhat  etherealized  by  his  long  con 
finement,  and  he  at  length  rivaled  Jos6  in  agility, 
endurance  and  skill  in  hunting.  His  mind,  indeed, 
had  never  fallen  back  into  the  lethargy,  from  which 
the  dangers  of  Don  Ramon's  attack  had  roused  him 
on  the  night  of  the  burning  of  the  cottage. 

From  Balthazar  little  had  been  heard,  except 
that,  sorely  wounded,  he  had  been  taken  to  the  hos 
pital  of  San  Juan  de  Dios,  whence  he  sent  to  Juani- 
ta  many  messages  of  love,  much  praise  of  the  gra 
cious  bounty  of  his  patron,  Don  Luis  de  Ramon,  and 
an  expression  of  his  unalterable  determination  to 
hunt  the  traitor  Don  Olivarez  and  his  heretical  com- 
panion  to  the  death. 

"Threatened  folk  live  long,  trusty  Sanchez;  yet 
we  were  but  foolish  to  await  the  wrath  of  so  trucu 
lent  a  youth.  Also,  I  am  told  that  our  guides  are 
ready,  and  our  boats  lie  even  now  beside  the  Mag- 
dalena.  Will  you  start  with  us,  Sanchez? — for  we 
purpose  to  send  forward  Josd  and  the  Senor  Hay, 


472  Cartagena 


with  Inez  and  her  maid,  while  I  follow  -on  with  the 
mulada." 

"Gladly  would  I  go  with  you  to  the  end  of  the 
world,"  said  the  old  man,  eagerly,  "but  I  am  old, 
and  cannot  leave  my  children  now.  But  beside  the 
great  river  I  will  see  you  safely  embarked,  and  wave 
you  a  last  farewell  as  your  canoes  disappear  for 
ever." 

"To-morrow,  then,  come  up  here  with  your  mules 
and  packs,  and  take  some  one  with  you  who  can 
help  you  return  with  the  drove.  The  first  party 
can  set  out  early  in  the  day,  and  we  later,  for  the 
moon  will  give  us  light." 

"Where  will  you  end  your  journey?"  asked  San 
chez,  abruptly. 

Olivarez'  voice  sounded  strangely  sad  as  he  an 
swered: 

"I  go  to  the  north,  where  my  brother,  whom  once 
you  knew,  awaits  me.  Yet,  somehow,  I  feel  as  if  I 
should  live  and  die  here,  where  so  many  roving 
adventures,  strange  fortunes  and  years  of  domestic 
happiness  have  made  life  precious,  until  death  and 
disease  left  me  an  outcast  among  men.  Perhaps 
the  strange  drama  nears  its  close,  and  the  avenger 
may  even  now  be  near,  'to  end  this  strange,  eventful 
history7  in  blood." 

"God  and  the  Holy  Mother  forbid!"  said  Sanchez 
piously.  "But  let  us  hasten;  tomorrow,  with  the 
first  light,  we  will  set  off,  and,  if  so  be  we  can  reach 
the  Devil's  Gap,  I  promise  you  no  man  can  overtake 
us." 

They  parted;  and,  as  the  mule  Sanchez  rode  dis- 


In  the  Wilderness  473 

appeared  down  the  now  shallow  rivulet,  Hay  and 
Inez  drew  near  Olivarez,  who  marked  with  pride  the 
dark  beauty  of  the  maiden  and  the  gallant  bearing 
of  her  cavalier. 

"We  leave  this  cave  tomorrow,  Senor  Hay,"  said 
he  pleasantly.  "Have  ready  your  weapons  and  be 
ready  to  start  by  noon." 

"I  shall  be  ready,  Senor,"  said  Stephen  in  good 
Spanish;  "and  you  have  no  need  of  my  assurances 
of  true  comraderie  and  faithful  service.  In  what 
ever  event  of  peril  or  suffering,  I  am  yours  to  the 
death." 

"Xot  so,"  said  Olivarez,  with  a  faint  laugh.  "You 
must  live  for  my  daughter's  sake,  until  in  a  happier 
land  she  can  claim  an  uncle's  protection,  and  the 
name  and  rank  which  is  hers  by  right.  Leave  us, 
Inez,  I  have  much  to  say  to  the  Senor  Stephen,  and 
to-night  we  are  at  leisure.  We  may  be  too  busy 
hereafter." 

"Our  affairs  tend  toward  a  crisis,"  said  Olivarez, 
when  they  were  alone,  "and  God  alone  knows  what 
dangers  may  follow  our  footsteps,  or  await  us  on  our 
way  to  the  Magdalena,  a  good  two  days'  Journey 
from  here.  It  may  be  that  I  shall  fall  on  the  way. 
Wilt  thou  be  a  true  friend  and  protector  to  Inez  un 
til  she  is  with  my  brother  in  your  own  land?" 

"I  wTill  swear  it  if  need  be,"  said  Hay,  firmly.  "As 
true  as  I  would  be  to  my  own  sister  by  the  Bay  of 
Massachusetts." 

"It  is  well.  Now,  Senor,  know  that  the  greater 
part  of  my  wealth  is  carried  in  diamonds  on  my  per 
son,  in  a  belt,  although  to-night  I  shall  take  from  a 


474  Cartagena 


secret  hoard,  as  much  gold  as  we  shall  need  for 
many  a  year.  Therefore,  if  I  fall,  or  perish  through 
accident  or  disease,  promise  me  to  secure  the  belt 
and  hold  it  safely  for  the  Senorita  Inez.  Further 
promise  me,  that  no  friend  of  mine  shall  behold  the 
face  which  I  have  kept  masked  for  so  many  years." 

"I  promise,"  said  Stephen,  simply. 

"It  is  sufficient,"  replied  Olivarez.  "I  shall  have  no 
more  fears,  though  vengeance  tread  close  behind  us, 
and  the  dangers  of  the  great  river,  savage  men  and 
the  whirlwinds  of  the  paramos  lie  between  us  and 
the  cities  by  the  western  sea.  Now  let  us  sleep 
well,  for  tomorrow  we  set  out  on  a  journey  fatiguing 
and  full  of  perils." 

But  they  were  not  to  rest  as  they  had  purposed, 
for  as  they  turned  away  to  retire  to  their  several 
shelters  they  heard  in  the  bed  of  the  stream  the 
splash  of  hoofs,  and  the  hoarse,  angry  cries  of  San 
chez  as  he  urged  forward  his  obstinate,  but  sleek 
and  powerful  mules  up  the  bed  of  the  mountain  tor 
rent. 

"Ah,  Senor!"  he  cried,  as  his  dripping  animal 
emergeQ  on  the  rocky  ledge,  "you  must  fly  at  once. 
Denwnios!  to  think  that  I  have  so  barely  escaped 
from  the  hands  of  your  pursuers!  Madre  dc  Dios! 
'Twas  a  mere  chance,  but  we  shall  escape  them  yet." 

Taking  breath,  he  told  his  story  more  calmly.  He 
had  prudently  left  all  but  his  own  riding  mule  to 
feed  on  the  short,  sweet  grass  of  the  foot-hills,  and, 
hobbling  his  own  a  little  away  from  the  cottage,  had 
by  a  devious  path  first  sought  the  paddock  where 
the  other  animals  were  confined.  While  preparing 


Ill  the  Wilderness  475 

packs  and  bridles  for  the  morrow,  he  had  heard 
bursts  of  music  at  the  house,  and  had  seen  Don 
Ramon  and  Balthazar  angrily  silence  the  untimely 
merriment.  Creeping  near  them,  he  had  heard 
enough  to  learn  that  they  only  awaited  his  return, 
to  lead  their  companions  to  the  attack  on  the  cavern 
and  its  inmates. 

He  had  quietly  taken  his  animals,  by  out-of-the- 
way  paths,  to  the  place  where  he  had  left  those  used 
during  the  day,  and  thought  the  enemy  would  not 
take  the  alarm  before  midnight. 

"We  shall  have  a  good  three  hours  the  start,  and 
as  many  leagues  in  distance;  for  they  have  no  ani 
mals,  and  I  fear  only  the  speed  of  the  guerrillcros  of 
Balthazar.  If  we  can  reach  the  Gap  before  him, 
we  may  defy  even  his  malice ;  but  if  he  comes  up  be 
fore  we  can  cut  the  bridge  away,  may  the  saints 
have  his  soul  in  their  holy  keeping;  for  were  he  ten 
Balthazars,  and  the  lover  of  as  many  daughters  of 
mine,  this  carabine" — and  he  dashed  the  rattling 
stock  heavily  on  the  ledge  as  he  spoke — "should  end 
his  love  and  his  treachery  at  once  and  forever." 


Chapter  XXXIV. 
Avenged 

In  haste  the  animals  were  packed  and  saddled, 
and,  by  the  time  that  the  moon  had  risen,  the  little 
party  were  ready  to  start,  and,  fording  the  rivulet 
took  the  high  road,  or  rather  path,  which  led  to  the 
Magdalena.  Silently  they  passed  under  the  shadow 
of  precipitous  rocks,  amid  the  graceful  columns  of 
slender  palms,  whose  dewy  fronds  seemed  of  silver 
in  the  magical  radiance;  crossing  narrow  chasms  on 
a  single  roughly  levelled  log; hastening  across  sandy 
levels,  where  the  armored  armadillo  scuttled  off  to 
his  burrow  among  the  ancient  Indian  graves;  and 
halting  now  and  then  to  listen  with  beating  hearts, 
as  some  wild  cry  of  night  bird  or  marauding  animal, 
indistinctly  heard  amid  the  tramp  of  hoofs  and  the 
rattle  of  arms  and  equipments,  suggested  the  sig 
nals  of  a  spy  or  the  angry  shouts  of  a  pursuing  foe. 

In  the  advance,  lithe,  silent,  prepared,  with  his 
eyes,  burning  with  cautious  apprehension  and  sav 
age  readiness  to  repulse  attack,  Jose',  with  gun  in 
hand,  explored  each  narrow  defile  and  dense  cover 
full  fifty  paces  before  the  little  knot  of  servants, 
who,  armed  to  the  teeth,  preceded  Inez.  She,  too, 
was  armed,  and  rode  an  ambling  mule,  girdled  with 
a  light  rapier  and  carrying  the  tiny  carbine  with 
which,  in  happier  days,  she  had  joined  poor  Carlos 
in  bringing  down  the  gaudy  parrots  from  the 
branches  of  the  guava  or  the  hanging  tendrils  of  the 


Avenged  477 


granadilla.  At  her  bridle  rein  rode  Stephen  Hay  in 
the  dress  of  a  Spanish  gentleman;  all  his  strong 
nature  stirred  to  its  lowest  depth  by  the  haste  and 
danger  of  their  flight,  the  wonderful  beauty  and 
magical  changes  from  sombre  shadow  to  softened 
radiance,  the  bravery  of  his  comrades,  the  strong, 
calm  courage  of  his  fair  companion,  and  all  else 
which  helped  to  deepen  the  passion  and  mystery  of 
the  hour. 

Sanchez,  despite  his  years  still  agile  and  vigorous, 
like  a  skilled  muhtero  moved  silently  along  the  line 
of  sure-footed  mules,  tightening  a  girth  here,  adjust 
ing  a  load  there,  urging  on  the  slow,  quieting  the 
restive,  yet  all  the  time  ready  with  his  weapons — the 
trenchant  machete  upon  his  thigh,  and  short  carbine 
slung  at  his  shoulder. 

Last  of  all  came  Olivarez,  clad  in  deep-hued  gar 
ments  which  showed  black  in  the  imperfect  light, 
his  long  rapier  in  hand,  and  the  pistols  of  the  dead 
Carlos  at  his  waist.  The  fixed  features  of  his  mask 
seemed  doubly  ghastly  in  the  moonlight,  as,  half  a 
gunshot  behind  the  rest,  he  came  into  view  from  be 
hind  the  projecting  cliffs,  or  strode  silently  out  of 
the  shadows  of  the  sombre  chapparal. 

On  the  dying  land  breeze  came  to  them  at  last  a 
sound  which  was  not  the  sighing  of  sweeping  forest 
branches,  but  a  hoarser  murmur,  mingled  with  a  me 
tallic  tinkle  like  the  fall  of  water  drops ;  and  quick 
ly  after,  far  back  where  the  trail  wound  among  the 
forest,  followed  the  fierce  call  of  a  jaguar,  which 
seemed  to  fill  the  whole  night,  as  the  thunder  rolls 
across  the  heavens. 


478  Cartagena 


At  that  dread  sound,  all  other  noises  of  the  night 
ceased.  Even  the  howling  monkeys,  whose  cries 
afar  off  had  come  to  the  ear  rather  as  a  subdued 
murmur  than  a  hideous  confusion  of  unearthly  yell- 
ings,  were  silent  as  death,  and  the  melancholy  wail 
of  the  aye-aye,  or  sloth,  was  heard  no  longer.  The 
night  birds  ceased  to  call  to  each  other;  the  hares 
were  no  longer  seen  coursing  across  the  glades;  all 
animal  life  had  done  for  a  time  with  thoughtless 
pleasure  and  security,  and  was  cowering  in  fear  and 
trembling,  in  the  apprehension  and  presence  of 
sudden  death. 

"There  is  no  fear,  Senor,"  said  Sanchez  to  his  old 
leader,  as  he  lingered  behind  the  cargo,  for  Olivarez 
to  come  up.  "He  is  far  away,  and  will  not  attack  so 
many.  He  may  be  prowling  about  some  Indian  biv 
ouac,  or  perhaps  he  has  been  disturbed  by  a  roving 
hunter  whose  path  he  has  crossed." 

"That  is  true,  Sanchez,  but  the  hunters  are  hunt 
ers  of  men  and  the  guerrilleros  of  Balthazar." 

"By  all  the  saints  you  are  right,  Don  Olivarez,  and 
if  so,  half  an  hour  will  bring  them  upon  us.  Hap 
pily  the  bridge  of  the  Devil's  Gap  is  but  a  short  quar 
ter  league  away,  and  if  once  the  bridge  is  down  we 
are  safe  for  a  day  at  least." 

So  saying,  Sanchez  began  to  hurry  up  his  mules, 
and  fifteen  minutes  later,  the  foremost  was  trem 
blingly  crossing  the  rude  hanging  bridge  across  the 
gap.  A  stream  now  narrow,  broken  and  swift,  ran 
two  hundred  feet  below  it  in  a  dark  abyss,  cut  into 
the  solid  rock  by  the  attrition  of  ages,  and  even  now 
at  times  filled  from  cliff  to  cliff  by  the  rainfall  of  the 


Avenged  479 


more  stormy  months.  The  bridge,  some  fifty  feet  in 
length,  was  formed  wholly  of  lianos  or  bcjucos  of  the 
largest  size,  which,  like  thick,  strong  cables 
stretched  from  cliff  to  cliff,  supported  a  flooring  of 
logs  lashed  to  the  natural  cables.  Two  other  cables 
stretched  from  strong  posts  a  little  higher  than  the 
others,  formed  a  rude  head  rail  on  either  side,  and 
the  bridge  thus  made  vibrated  and  undulated  fright 
fully,  as  one  by  one  the  mules  were  led  across  the 
horrid  chasm.  But  the  mules  of  Sanchez  had  crossed 
too  often  to  give  much  trouble  to  the  old  muleteer, 
and,  with  their  savage  pursuers  close  at  their  heels, 
even  the  frailest  of  the  party  cared  little  for  the  dan 
gerous  transit  over  the  abyss. 

The  last  mule  once  crossed,  the  men  of  the  party 
gathered  at  the  bridge  head,  for  there  a  stand  must 
be  made  until  the  cables  were  cut,  and  the  pur 
suers  left  helpless  on  the  further  side  of  the  gap. 
Stephen  with  a  Spanish  axe,  and  Sanchez  with  his 
machete,  cut  and  hacked  at  the  sipo  lashings  of  the 
superstructure,  and  laid  bare  the  dozen  huge 
strands,  which,  no  longer  soft  and  pliant,  but  hard 
ened  and  rigid  writh  age  and  tension,  offered  an  ob 
stinate  resistance  to  the  steel  and  strength  of  both. 

"There  they  come!"  cried  Inez,  who  had  dis 
mounted  and  come  to  the  brink  of  the  chasm,  point 
ing  to  a  lithe,  swift  runner,  who,  issuing  from  the 
forest,  came  dowrn  the  naked,  sandy  slope  upon  the 
opposite  side,  unslinging  as  he  ran  the  long  gun  at 
his  back,  and  followed  by  half  a  dozen  men  similarly 
armed  and  equipped. 

Stephen  caught  up  the  fair  speaker  as  if  she  were 


480  Cartagena 


a  child,  and  placed  her  behind  a  projecting  rock. 
"Cover  yourselves!"  he  cried  to  the  others,  "Shelter 
yourself,  Don  Olivarez,  for  the  bullets  will  be  flying 
soon,  and  one  life  is  enough  to  risk  in  cutting  the 
bridge." 

As  he  spoke,  the  foremost  hunter  levelled  his  gun 
and  fired;  but  the  bullet,  aimed  in  haste,  flew  harm 
lessly  over  the  heads  of  the  party.  Hay  fired  more 
deliberately;  and  Balthazar — for  it  was  he — fell  at 
the  shot,  but,  a  moment  later,  arose,  and  took  shel 
ter  behind  a  low  ridge  of  naked  rock.  From  behind 
this  cover  the  guerrillas  opened  fire  at  long  range 
upon  Hay,  who,  giving  his  piece  to  Jose'  to  reload, 
was  plying  his  axe  with  renewed  vigor. 

The  men  wrho  thus  sought  his  life  were  good 
marksmen,  but  the  light  was  uncertain,  and  so 
quickly  did  the  gigantic  American  change  position, 
as  the  axe  rose  and  fell  on  the  tough  cables,  that, 
though  several  shots  pierced  his  hat  and  clothing, 
and  one  even  cut  a  fragment  from  the  tough  handle 
of  his  axe,  he  nevertheless  saw  the  number  of  the 
strands  rapidly  diminish,  until  the  bridge  hung 
awry,  and  passable  only  for  a  man  of  the  surest 
footing  and  coolest  head;  and  it  was  evident  that 
its  own  weight  woul'd  carry  it  into  the  chasm 
if  only  two  or,  at  the  most,  three  more  lianas  should 
be  severed. 

At  that  moment,  from  the  further  woods  another 
party  issued,  this  time  of  mounted  men,  led  by  Don 
Luis  de  Eamon,  whose  vengeful  shouts  could  plainly 
be  recognized  as  he  spurred  his  steed  down  the  slope 
toward  the  concealed  guerrillas. 


Avenged  481 


"Quickly,  Senor  Hay!  for  heaven's  sake,  quickly!" 
cried  Sanchez,  and  Hay  putting  superhuman 
strength  into  every  blow  struck  so  shrewdly  that 
but  two  or  three  were  needed  to  sever  the  bejucos, 
sorely  strained  with  the  weight  of  the  ruined  struc 
ture.  One  strand  slipped,  severed  from  its  fasten 
ings;  a  second  snapped  at  the  third  downright  blow, 
and  as  the  third  parted  the  remaining  strands 
wrenched  from  their  moorings  allowed  the  bridge 
to  crash  down  into  the  ravine.  Stephen  felt  himself 
hurriedly  pulled  under  cover  of  a  rock  as  Don  Ra 
mon's  party,  drawing  up  on  the  brink  of  the  canyon, 
opened  fire. 

By  this  fusilade,  however,  no  damage  was  done, 
W7hile  Jos6  stepping  forward,  took  deliberate  aim  at 
Don  Ramon,  who  caused  his  horse  to  rear  just  at  the 
moment  the  shot  parted.  The  animal  reared  once 
more  on  the  very  verge  of  the  cliff,  fell  back  on  its 
rider,  and  then  in  its  death  struggle  rolled  to  the 
brink  of  the  chasm.  There  was  a  glimmer  and  clat 
ter  of  steel,  a  flash  of  gold  and  silver,  as  housings 
and  saddle  flap,  holster  and  laced  cloak  shimmered 
in  the  moonlight;  then  a  rattle  of  loose  shards  of 
rock,  the  rush  of  boughs  swiftly  parted,  and  a  dull 
thud  which  told  that  life  had  been  instantly  crushed 
out  by  the  rocky  bed  of  the  mountain  stream.  .  A 
night  hawk  screamed  out  of  the  darkness,  a  yell  of 
horror  broke  from  Don  Ramon's  followers,  and  with 
a  sense  of  awe,  which  even  satisfied  revenge  could 
not  wholly  efface,  Olivarez  motioned  to  his  friends 
to  mount  their  animals  and  resume  their  inter 
rupted  journey.  But  they  had  scarcely  proceeded 


482  Cartagena 


three  hundred  paces  when  Sanchez  stamped  his  foot 
impatiently,  and  cried  "Carrai!  How  could  we  have 
forgotten !  The  side  cables  are  not  parted,  and  Bal 
thazar  will  not  be  long  in  getting  across  with  his 
hunters.  Let  us  back  once  more,  and  do  our  work 
more  thoroughly." 

"Surely  they  would  not  dare,"  began  Stephen  in 
amaze. 

"Dare!"  said  Sanchez,  wildly.  "Why,  if  his  foster 
brother  Antonio  were  there  he  would  already  be  on 
this  side  of  the  gap.  Many  a  bridge  and  tarabita  has 
he  made,  and  I  have  seen  him  myself  work  across 
one  of  the  latter,  hanging  by  his  hands,  with  his 
gun  slung  to  his  shoulders  and  a  brace  of  hares  in 
his  pouch.  Let  us  back  for  heaven's  sake  e'er  it  be 
too  late." 

They  hastened  back,  and  none  too  soon;  for,  as 
Sanchez  issued  from  the  cleft  of  the  rock,  Antonio, 
a  lithe  youth  of  twenty  or  thereabouts,  was  just 
seating  himself  upon  the  ledge,  as  if  wearied  by  the 
perilous  feat;  while  no  less  than  three  other  hunt 
ers,  one  of  them  Balthazar  himself,  were  half-way 
across,  holding  on  by  the  swaying  cables.  Sanchez 
raised  his  carbine  to  shoot  Antonio,  and  the  servants 
were  about  to  pour  in  a  deadly  volley,  when  Olivarez 
stepped  forward  and  shouted,  "Hold!" 

"Antonio,"  said  he,  quietly,  "come  hither  and  dis 
arm.  Hesitate,  and  you  die!  Balthazar,"  he  con 
tinued,  to  the  leader  of  the  guerrillas,  who  hung  as 
if  paralyzed  in  mid-passage,  "I  seek  not  thy  blood. 
Seat  thyself  astride  the  bejucos,  and  listen  well; 
otherwise  thou  canst  in  no  wise  hope  to  carry  thy 
life  away." 


Avenged  483 


Antonio  unslung  his  piece  and  laid  it  carefully 
down  upon  the  ledge,  slipped  the  buckle  of  his  broad 
belt,  where  hung  his  hunter's  knife,  and,  coming 
forward,  knelt  at  the  feet  of  the  masked  leper,  as  if 
to  implore  his  brother's  life;  but  Olivarez  with  a 
wave  of  his  hand  restrained  him. 

"Balthazar,"  he  continued,  "why  hast  thou  hunted 
me  in  the  woods,  trailed  me  like  a  hound  through  the 
desert,  aye,  and  sought  my  daughter's  life  with 
sword  and  fire?  Have  I  not  been  your  friend  in 
days  past,  when  you  were  in  need  and  friendless?" 

Balthazar  turned  toward  the  speaker  a  face 
cicatrized  by  the  fangs  of  Bravo",  and  answered, 
firmly : 

"I  attacked  your  house  because  you  harbored  a 
foe — one  of  the  Americans  whose  bullets  slew  my 
brother  and  your  friend;  and  I  sought  not  to  slay 
the  Senorita  Inez,  but  to  restore  her  to  her  faithful 
lover,  Don  Ramon.  I  was  torn,  as  you  see,  by  your 
bloodhounds;  yet  I  swore  to  follow  you  to  the  death, 
and  give  your  daughter  to  her  true  cavalier." 

Olivarez  laughed  scornfully: 

"Her  true  cavalier !  Don  Ramon  her  lover !  Sure 
ly,  none  but  he  could  frame  such  dastardly  fable.  I 
could  almost  wish  he  were  alive,  instead  of  lying 
dead  in  the  ravine  below ;  were  it  only  to  brand  him 
the  lying  murderer  and  would-be  ravisher  that  he 
is." 

"He  is  not  dead,"  said  Balthazar  sternly,  "though 
he  lies  yonder  insensible,  and  with  a  broken  thigh. 
We  thought  him  gone  when  the  steed  leaped  into 
the  Gap,  but  by  Our  Lady's  mercy  he  escaped  with 


484  Cartagena 


life.  He  hath  suffered  much  of  late  in  mind,  for  he 
fears  the  leprosy,  which  indeed  some  say  is  already 
fixed  upon  him ;  and  I  fear  he  will  never  again  be  the 
gallant  cavalier  he  was  a  short  six  months  ago." 

"Sanchez!"  said  Olivarez,  "bring  quickly  the 
Dona  Inez.  Balthazar!  Canst  thou  hold  thy  seat 
for  ten  short  moments  more?" 

"Aye,  truly  most  noble  sir,"  he  answered  with  a 
cynical  sneer.  "What  grace  wilt  thou  show  us  be 
fore  we  make  our  last  leap  into  the  abyss?" 

"What  do  these  men  want  of  Inez  de  Olivarez?" 
asked  the  brave  girl,  so  that  all  could  hear,  stepping 
upon  the  ledge  into  the  full  moonlight. 

"Balthazar,"  said  Olivarez,  "here  is  the  maiden. 
Ask  her  if  she  will  stay  behind  me,  for  love  of  Don 
Luis  de  Ramon." 

"Balthazar,  thou  art  deceived,"  she  said.  "I 
never  loved  Don  Ramon,  and  had  I  admired  him  I 
could  not  now  have  any  thought  of  aught  but  ven 
geance  on  the  wretch  who  assassinated  my  brother." 

"It  is  enough,"  said  Balthazar  in  a  surprised  tone; 
"and  with  your  leave  I  will  no  longer  seek  to  serve 
a  liar,  whom  I  would  slay  were  he  not  already  be 
neath  my  vengeance.  What  say  you,  Don  Olivarez? 
Will  you  pardon  us,  or  will  you  rather  trust  to  steel 
or  bullets  to  secure  your  safety?" 

"God  forbid!"  said  Olivarez  sadly.  "Go  in  peace. 
Return  to  thy  men.  Antonio  shall  follow  thee,  and 
may  the  saints  bless  or  curse  thee  as  thou  deservest 
mercy." 

With  surprising  agility,  Balthazar  and  his  men  re 
turned  to  their  companions,  who,  at  a  word  from 


Avenged  485 


their  leader,  advanced  to  the  brink  unarmed.  The 
soldiers  of  Don  Kanion  followed  their  example,  and 
Olivarez  continued: 

"Antonio,  take  thy  weapons,  and  return  if  thou 
wilt.  We  must  cut  the  cable,  that  no  one  else  may 
follow  on  our  track." 

"Not  so,  kind  senor,"  cried  the  youth.  "Let  me 
go  with  you  and  help  Sanchez  with  the  carga,  for  he 
will  need  help  on  his  return.  I  will  be  true  and 
faithful.  Keep  my  arms  if  you  will,  but  let  me  serve 
you  until  the  end." 

"You  shall  go,"  said  Olivarez  kindly.  "Baltha 
zar,"  he  continued,  "is  Don  Ramon  able  to  speak? 
If  so,  I  would  have  speech  with  him  before  we  part." 

Two  soldiers,  issuing  from  the  ranks,  hastened  to 
a  boulder  a  little  away,  and  bore  the  young  Spaniard 
to  the  border  of  the  cliff. 

"Don  Ramon,"  said  Olivarez  sternly,  "canst  thou 
hear  and  answer  my  last  words  to  thee?" 

Something  of  his  old  evil  daring  lit  up  the  black 
eyes  of  the  wounded  man.  He  motioned  to  his  at 
tendants  to  place  his  back  against  a  projection  of 
the  rock  and  retire  to  the  ranks,  and  then  his  voice, 
feeble  indeed,  but  firm  and  unfaltering,  was  heard 
across  the  abyss: 

"Thou  hast  triumphed,  and  I  have  failed;  thou  car- 
riest  away  the  treasure  I  would  have  won,  and  leav- 
est  me  to  drag  out  an  existence  unblessed  by  love, 
and  doomed  to  hope  no  more  for  martial  glory  or 
the  Hesse  of  a  gay  cavalier.  End  now  thy  triumphs ! 
The  weapon  of  death  is  in  thy  hand,  there  is  light 
enow,  and  he  who  lies  in  yonder  chasm,  will  need  no 


486  Cartagena 


emblazoned  monument  and  can  sleep  as  soundly  as 
in  consecrated  earth.  Why  dost  thou  hesitate? 
Trust  me,  if  I  could  use  musket  or  pistol,  thou 
shouldst  not  long  stand  there  in  triumph." 

The  form  of  Olivarez  seemed  convulsed  with  pas 
sion,  and  once  his  carbine  was  slightly  lifted,  as  if 
he  would  have  fain  avenged  his  son's  death;  but 
with  an  effort  he  laid  the  weapon  by,  and,  drawing 
from  his  breast  the  fatal  poinard,  held  it  up  until  all 
could  see  the  play  of  the  moonlight  on  the  silvern 
Medusa  and  the  sullied  blade. 

"By  this,  the  pledge  of  a  fatal  friendship,  poor 
Carlos  perished,  and  with  this  weapon,  were  we  both 
hale  and  strong,  thou  shouldst  die,  though  I  were 
forced  to  seek  thee  through  every  clime  and  land. 
But  I  stand  already  in  the  shadow  of  a  living  death, 
and  thou  are  shut  out  by  the  hand  of  God  from  all 
that  thou  hast  prized  and,  as  I  well  believe,  hast 
from  the  blood  of  poor  Martinez  de  Herrera  taken 
the  malady,  which  shall  doom  thee  to  the  banish 
ment  from  which  thy  rapier  freed  his  gallant  soul. 
Take  then  thy  gift.  I  trust  to  God  and  his  saints  to 
punish.  Look  on  this  accursed  steel,  and  repent 
while  there  is  yet  time." 

With  the  old  skill  of  the  days  when  every  weapon 
known  to  tropical  lands  had  been  his  delight  and 
pride,  Olivarez  threw  the  dagger  across  the  cliff  and 
drove  its  keen  point  into  the  turf,  between  the  brink 
and  Don  Luis,  where  it  quivered  in  the  light  of  the 
waning  moon. 

With  an  effort  which  must  have  cost  him  terrible 
pain,  the  wounded  man  dragged  himself  to  the  spot 


Avenged  487 


and  seizing  the  stiletto,  by  means  of  one  of  the  posts 
of  the  tarabita  raised  himself  on  one  knee  and  brand 
ished  the  weapon  above  his  head. 

"Repent?-'  said  he,  with  terrible  vehemence.  "Fray 
Carreno,  who  heard  but  a  tithe  of  my  adventures, 
said  that  only  a  pilgrimage  to  Kome  and  the  hand  of 
the  Holy  Father  could  shrive  me  of  my  sins.  That 
I  could  not  now  accomplish  if  I  would,  and  I  will  not 
go  back  to  drag  out  a  loathsome  existence  within 
the  gates  of  San  Lazaro.  I  defy  your  vengeance  and 
laugh  at  your  false  pity.  In  yonder  chasm,  no 
human  eye  shall  ever  behold  the  tomb  of  a  leper  of 
the  lineage  of  De  Kamon." 

As  he  ceased  speaking  he  sheathed  the  fatal  stil 
etto  in  his  own  heart,  and  settling  forward  fell  into 
the  chasm,  which  is  called  "The  Cavalier's  Leap" 
unto  this  day. 


Chapter 

Bereaved 

The  failure  of  the  expedition,  its  terrible  mor 
tality,  and  above  all  the  scarcity  of  reliable  informa 
tion  as  to  who  had  fallen  and  who  were  left  alive, 
had  filled  Boston  with  a  gloom  all  the  deeper,  for  the 
exultant  outburst  of  triumph  and  loyal  joy  which 
had  greeted  the  premature  announcement  of  the 
capture  of  the  Spanish  stronghold  and  the  complete 
success^of  the  expedition. 

Yet,  though  men  feared  the  worst,  the  measure  of 
private  grief  was  not  yet  full,  because,  owing  to  the 
scant  postal  privileges  of  that  day,  the  names  of 
those  who  had  fallen  in  battle  or  died  of  tropical 
plagues  had,  in  many  instances,  been  kept  back  from 
the  knowledge  of  friends,  who  awaited  in  terrible 
suspense,  for  the  joy  or  grief  of  sure  knowledge  of 
the  truth. 

It  was  late  in  autumn  that  the  household  at 
Ploughed  Neck  learned  the  worst,  though  for  weeks 
little  Tempie  had  wondered  why  no  letter  came  from 
Stephen,  and  why  her  father  prayed  so  earnestly  for 
the  absent;  while  her  mother's  low  sobbing  made 
her  draw  closer  to  her  side,  as  they  knelt  at  the 
roughly  finished  settle,  by  the  window  which  opened 
toward  the  sailless  sea. 

It  had  been  a  day  of  perfect  beauty.  The  trees  were 
loaded  with  apples,  and  the  rosy  fruit  and  many 
hued  leaves  came  down  in  showers  as  Lish,  still  hale, 


Bereaved  489 


but  less  JOYOUS  than  of  yore,  lay  out  on  the  tough, 
{sweeping  boughs  of  the  "winter  greenings"  and 
other  old-time  apple  trees,  and  shook  down  their  am 
ple  harvest  upon  the  lush  rank  grass  below. 

The  bay  beyond  the  distant  sand  x  dunes  was 
smooth  as  glass,  and  over  its  broad  surface  myriads 
of  coots,  and  other  sea  fowl  dove  and  swam; 
"bedded''  for  weeks  to  come,  and  scarcely  disturbed 
by  the  occasional  shot,  which  told  that  some  resi 
dent  hunter  had  tired  of  ordinary  fare,  and  secured 
half  a  dozen  birds  for  a  "sea  pie"  or  "Cape  stew." 
Over  the  resting  wild  fowl,  in  long,  straggling 
flights,  swept  their  numberless  kindred,  forming  an 
almost  unbroken  line  of  undulating  pinions,  from 
the  cliffs  of  Manomet  to  the  last  faint  outline  of  the 
cape  curving  eastward. 

"The  wTonien  folks"  were  out  in  full  force,  in  this 
gathering  of  autumn  bounty,  for  they  loved  the  sweet 
fragrance  of  the  ripening  fruits,  and  the  light  labor 
in  the  mild  balmy  golden  air,  gave  such  days  a 
charm,  but  too  uncommon,  in  the  confined  routine  of 
household  duties  of  that  day  and  generation.  Be 
sides  were  there  not  the  great  orange  pears  to  be 
gathered  and  divided,  as  were  sundry  trees  of  rare 
apples,  for  though  Fourier  and  his  principles  had 
never  been  heard  of  in  Ploughed  Neck,  there  were 
so  many  things  held  and  enjoyed  in  commonalty, 
that  any  less  just  and  kindly  people  would  have 
been  incessantly  at  law  about  them. 

Did  not  every  cheese  in  the  dairy  represent  the 
night  and  morning  contributions  of  at  least  three 
families,  who  in  turn  received  their  share  of  the 


400  Cartagena 


lacteal  fluid  according  to  the  yield  of  their  kine? 
Did  not  the  cranberry  bogs  near  the  "Blackbird 
Swamp"  remain  sacredly  inviolate,  until  all  in 
terested  had  chosen  a  day  to  pick  the  rosy  berries 
and  divide  the  crop,  so  that  even  poor  lonely  Aust 
Joanna,  now  near  the  end  of  her  life  of  single 
blessedness,  could  have  her  provision  of  cranberry 
pies,  without  any  feeling  but  that  of  independent 
ownership?  Were  not  the  boundaries  of  their  allot 
ments  of  the  "Great  Marsh,"  so  neglected  in  the 
lapse  of  time,  that  when  the  hay  wagons  and  the 
stout  mowers  appeared  on  their  scene  of  labor,  but 
little  could  be  or  was  done  but  to  cut  and  make 
together,  and  divide  according  to  the  force  of  men 
and  animals  joined  in  common  effort? 

So  Mrs.  Hay  moved  about  in  the  orchard,  assort 
ing  the  growing  heaps  of  apples  which  Tempie  and 
her  older  sisters  gathered  up  into  gaudy  Indian 
baskets,  and  Margaret,  glad  to  find  an  excuse  to  get 
away  from  her  labor  on  quince  and  wild  grape  in 
Aunt  Dorcas'  kitchen,  was  flitting  from  place  to 
place,  too  airily  and  nicely  clad  to  settle  down  to 
real  work,  yet  chatting  with  "Aunt  Tempie,"  rac 
ing  with  Stephen's  pet  sister,  gossiping  with  the 
older  girls,  collecting  now  and  then  a  basketful  of 
the  finest  fruit,  and  listening  to  Lish,  who,  when 
she  was  by,  seemed  to  forget  tree  and  harvest,  and  if 
one  might  judge  by  the  unwonted  softness  and  sad 
ness  of  his  deep  tones,  the  memory  of  his  brother's 
trust  and  absence. 

More  than  once  the  laughing  girls  complained  of  a 
lack  of  fruit,  and  sent  him  half  angry,  half  laughing, 


Bereaved  491 


to  "branches  not  yet  denuded  of  their  precious  loads. 
More  than  once  Margaret  turned  to  go,  and  then 
turning  to  say  a  parting  word,  or  make  a  show  of 
joining  in  the  common  labor,  found  herself  again  lis 
tening  to  words,  all  the  sweeter  that  they  were  not 
without  the  feeling  of  concealment,  the  sense  of  un 
worthy  deceit.  The  forenoon  drew  to  its  close,  and 
when  the  sun  stood  overhead  Mrs.  Hay's  gentle 
brow  was  strangely  stern  and  silent,  and  even  lov 
ing  little  Tempie  somehow  felt  that  Margaret  was 
too  happy  for  one,  wjio  a  few  weeks  before  had  wept 
at  the  news  of  the  great  battle,  and  knew  not  yet 
whether  her  darling  brother  was  alive  or.  dead. 

At  last,  however,  the  dinner  horn  was  sounded 
from  the  various  houses,  and  Margaret  tripped 
lightly  back  to  her  lonely  meal  with  aunt  Dorcas,  for 
uncle  Zenas  was  again  away  in  the  Viana  sloop.  Mrs. 
Hay  was  last  of  those  to  leave  the  orchard,  and  Lish, 
who  had  filled  the  largest  basket  with  apples,  pre 
ceded  her  through  the  open  bars.  At  them  she 
stopped,  and  pointed  to  the  great  pear  tree  heavily 
laden  with  large,  round,  bronze  russet  pears,  the 
pride  of  the  Neck  and  wonder  of  the  neighborhood 
roundabout. 

"Can't  you  gather  a  basket  of  those  pears  while 
the  others  are  away,  Lish?"  she  said  below  her 
breath.  "No  one  will  know  it,  and  our  share  will  not 
be  a  large  one,  there  are  so  many  to  divide  them." 

Lish  was  fairly  spellbound  with  astonishment. 
What!  his  mother  asking  him  to  steal  for  her.  Was 
she  going  mad?  or  was  the  mother-angel  he  had 
worshiped  only  of  weak  and  sinful  clay,  as  Parson 


492  Cartagena 


Giddings  had  so  often  taught  was  the  common  lot 
of  poor  humanity? 

"Why,  mother!  You  don't  inean  it,"  was  all  he 
could  say,  for,  looking  up,  he  saw  that  her  eyes  were 
full  of  a  bitter  sorrow. 

"I  know,  Lish,"  she  said,  at  length,  "that  you 
would  not  steal  even  to  please  your  mother,  even, 
alas !  if  she  were  so  weak  as  to  yield  to  the  wiles  of 
the  tempter.  But,  Lish,  you  are  tempted  and  are 
weak,  aye  yielding  to  a  temptation  which  can  only 
end  in  sin  blacker  than  theft  an'  unworthy  of  a  man. 
Don't  think,  dear  Lish,"  she  went  on,  brokenly,  "that 
I  don't  pity  you  and — and — her;  for  I  know  how 
bright  the  heavens  are,  how  fair  and  lovely  the  earth 
is,  when  we  are  young  an'  loving  an'  loved.  But  he 
is  hers  and  she  his  until  he  comes  to  release  her  or  is 
dead;  and  you,  of  all  men,  should  be  just  and  stain 
less —  yes,  even  if  the  will  swerves  and  the  heart  is 
broken." 

Lish  grew  strangely  pale.  A  terrible  agony  seemed 
almost  to  stop  his  breath;  and  though  his  eyes  were 
dry  and  bright,  his  mother  knew  that  the  tears  that 
relieved  her  sorrow,  could  not  flow  to  soothe  his 
pain.  He  bent  quickly  and  kissed  her  tenderly,  as 
she  leaned,  half -fainting,  on  his  shoulder,  and  at  last 
he  found  words  to  allay  her  fears : 

"Don't  be  afraid,  mother.  I've  done  wrong,  I 
know,  and  I  won't  deceive  you.  I  love  Margaret, 
and  can't  bear  to  give  her  up.  That  was  why  I 
wanted  to  go  to  the  war ;  that  was  why  I  came  back 
when  the  Cape  Cod  men  were  disbanded;  that  is 
why  I  can't  help  listening  to  her  voice,  though  I  feel 


Bereaved  493 

mean  and  guilty  all  the  time.  I  must  go  away, 
mother.  They  want  more  men  for  Jamaica,  and  next 
week  I'll  go  on  in  the  sloop  and  enlist;  for  I  shall 
go  mad  if  I  stay  here." 

"Don't  be  hasty,  my  son,"  she  said,  softly.  "I  fear 
that  I  never  shall  see  Stephen  again,  and  I  can't  bear 
to  lose  you  too.  'Endure  unto  the  end,'  Lish;  and 
don't  think  I  speak  lightly,  for  there  are  few  even  of 
us  who  seem  old  and  passionless  and  without  temp 
tation,  but  still  feel  the  scars  of  old  trials  that  burn 
and  torture  even  to  this  day.  Don't  run  from  the 
test.  Don't  throw  life  away  because  you  are  disap 
pointed  ;  if  you  do  right,  all  will  be  well." 

"I  will,  mother,"  said  Lish  simply,  and  they  went 
on  to  the  weather-beaten  farmhouse  and  left  their 
burdens  on  the  short  grass,  where  the  sun's  rays  lay 
nearly  all  day  long,  before  the  southern  window. 

"There's  a  sail  way  off  there,"  said  Joshua,  the 
eldest  brother,  as  they  neared  the  door  which  faced 
the  well  and  its  lofty  sweep.  "I  reckon  'tis  the  Vi- 
ana,  but  they'll  not  get  in  tonight  unless  there's 
more  wind  than  there  is  now." 

All  crowded  to  the  windows  and  the  door,  for  the 
coming  of  the  sloop  was  at  all  times  an  event;  and 
now  more  than  ever  their  interest  and  hopes  and 
fears  centered  on  their  main  means  of  communica 
tion  with  the  great  outer  world,  typified  to  them  by 
the  growing  seaport  of  Boston. 

Deacon  Hay  took  down  the  long  canvas-covered 
ship's  glass  from  above  the  door,  and  wiping  the 
glasses  and  his  own  failing  eyes,  looked  long  and 
steadfastly  at  the  distant  sail,  which  lay  like  a  white 
speck  far  off  on  the  horizon. 


494  Cartagena 


"  'Tis  the  sloop,"  he  said  at  last,  "for  the  new  half 
of  her  mainsail  is  nearest  the  gaff,  an'  the  upper 
part  of  yonder  sail  is  whiter  than  the  rest.  But  come 
in  to  meat.  Let  us  bless  God  for  his  mercies,  an' 
await  such  tidings  as  he  pleases  to  send  us." 

As  they  returned  to  the  orchard  those  interested 
in  the  division  of  the  fruit  joined  them,  until  nearly 
twenty  young  and  old  were  present,  and  one  by  one 
the  apple  trees  were  despoiled,  their  fruit  assorted 
into  good  and  refuse,  and  last  of  all  with  chairs  and 
ladders  the  great  pear  tree  was  assailed.  The  yield 
was  greater  than  was  wont,  and  much  of  the  fruit 
near  to  ripeness,  had  to  be  gathered  carefully  and 
placed  one  by  one  in  the  baskets  to  prevent  bruising, 
so  that  supper  was  over  and  it  was  nearly  nightfall 
before  the  fruit  was  all  gathered;  and  Deacon  Hay 
and  the  other  men  had  finished  their  milking  and 
came  to  join  in  the  final  process  of  division. 

The  smaller  portions  had  been  liberally  set  aside, 
and  now  it  remained  for  those  who  owned  in  the 
land  to  divide  the  rest  equally.  With  a  solemnity 
unusual  even  in  him,  Deacon  Hay  carefully  meas 
ured  the  heap  into  four  portions,  and  then  turning  to 
the  rest  proposed  that  Margaret  should  be  .blind 
folded,  and  set  out  by  lot  the  part  of  each  claimant. 

Margaret  laughingly  consented,  but  as  her  eyes 
were  about  to  be  covered,  said  as  she  named  those 
present:  "There  are  only  three  men  here,  and  why 
have  you  made  four  portions?" 

"You  forget,"  said  Tempie,  softly,  "there  were  al 
ways  four  parts,  ever  since  poor  grandpa  left  his 
share  to  dear  brother  Stephie." 


Bereaved  495 


Out  of  the  growing  shadow  of  the  trees  which 
overhung  the  edge  of  the  open  plot,  in  the  centre  of 
the  orchard,  came  two  men,  one  old,  weatherbeaten 
and  grayhaired,  convulsed  with  sobs;  the  other, 
dark  browed,  straight  limbed,  with  one  arm  tightly 
looped  to  his  breast,  and  strangely  silent 

"There  need  be  but  three  lots  this  ya'r"  cried  uncle 
Zenas,  hoarsely,  "for  the  boy'll  never'll  come  back  to 
claim  his  share  of  thet  or  any  other  earthly  blessin'." 

Black  Bill,  or  as  we  have  preferred  to  call  him, 
Untequit,  stepped  into  the  growing  moonlight,  and 
with  his  old  deference  removed  his  hat  and  greeted 
his  old  protector. 

"Master,"  said  he,  "I  have  come  back  alone.  The 
Master  of  Life  has  taken  the  brave  and  the  good 
unto  himself." 

There  wrere  no  swoonings,  no  shrieks  of  unbound 
ed  grief,  though  Margaret  burst  into  passionate 
sobs  and  no  eyes  were  destitute  of  fitting  tears.  It 
was  not  the  wont  of  the  people  of  those  stern  and 
trying  days,  to  mourn  weakly  and  uselessly  when  the 
chastisement  of  the  Father  fell  heavily  upon  them. 
But,  as  Deacon  Hay  turned  as  if  to  seek  the  solitude 
of  his  stricken  house,  his  cousin  Alvah,  a  man  of 
unusually  stern  and  unmoved  countenance,  made  a 
characteristic  proposition. 

"Choose  your  two  shar's,"  said  he,  "an'  we  will 
see  them  taken  in,  fer  'tis  no  time  to  draw  lots,  an' 
yet  the  fruit  would  spile,  mayhap,  ef  we  left  it  out 
tonight.  An'  ef ,"  and  he  hesitated,  "there's  anythin' 
else  we  could  do — 

The  deacon  rung  his  hand  with  a  pressure  which 


496  Cartagena 


told  better  than  words,  how  he  recognized  the  loy 
alty  and  sympathy  so  roughly  expressed.  Let  the 
world  say  what  it  will  of  New  England  coldness, 
there  is  no  truer,  firmer  support  the  world  over  for 
man  or  cause,  than  that  of  the  men  of  the  true  old 
New  England  blood  and  breeding,  be  it  on  land  or 
sea,  in  storm  or  battle,  in  political,  religious,  moral 
or  social  troubles. 

The  blow  had  fallen,  antl  Untequit,  following  the 
sorrowing  assemblage  into  the  kitchen,  seated  him 
self,  and  saw  the  others  silently  weeping  or  busy 
with  bitter  and  regretful  thoughts.  At  last,  how 
ever,  Deacon  Hay  arose,  lit  a  candle,  and  drew  forth 
his  spectacles,  and  little  Tempie,  scarcely  seeing 
through  her  tears,  brought  him  the  Bible,  as  was 
her  wont,  and  tremblingly  imprinted  a  kiss  on  his 
roughened  hands.  He  caught  her  to  his  breast  a 
moment  and  let  fall  a  kiss  on  her  pale,  upturned 
browT,  then  turned  to  Untequit. 

"How  did  he  die?1'  he  asked,  briefly. 

"Leading  the  men  to  the  attack;  slain  by  a  cannon 
shot  just  as  he  was  about  to  burst  in  the  gates." 

"Are  you  sure  he  was  dead?"  continued  the 
deacon. 

"Would  I  have  been  here  if  he  had  lived,  even 
though  a  prisoner?"  said  the  Indian  reproachfully. 

"It  is  well,"  said  Hay,  after  a  moment's  pause.  "He 
died  like  a  man,  and  I  trust  like  a  Christian  soldier. 
Let  us  seek  consolation  in  the  word  of  God." 

He  read  fittingly,  from  the  grand  and  mournful 
passages  with  wThich  the  book  of  Job  abounds,  and 
then  kneeled  to  wrestle  in  prayer  for  grace  to  sup- 


Bereaved  497 


port  the  blow  so  long  feared,  which  had  come  at 
last.  For  the  speaker  there  could  be  no  solace,  no 
hope  in  prayer  for  those  passed  beyond  this  mortal 
life,  but  there  was  a  strangely  triumphant  ring  in 
his  concluding  words: 

"And  now,  O  Lord,  we  thank  thee,  that  even  in 
our  sorrow  wre  have  faith  in  an  assured  salvation  for 
him  who  hath  passed  away,  and  that  he  having  been 
a  true  and  obedient  son,  a  just  man,  a  loyal  soldier, 
and  an  humble  believer  in  the  saving  merits  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  we  may  look  forward  to  meet 
with  him  in  heavenly  mansions,  to  go  no  more  out, 
but  to  dwell  together  in  life  everlasting.  Amen !" 

The  next  day  Untequit  returned  to  his  old  duties, 
first  stipulating  that  he  should  be  permitted  to  carry 
to  old  Molly  Pognet  the  account  of  his  meeting  with 
the  bandit  and  exiled  chieftain,  Caneotus;  but  ere 
he  went,  poor  little  Tempie  met  him  as  he  stood 
sorrowfully  by  the  bars,  and  asked  many  questions 
of  her  lost  brother.  He  told  her  all  that  was  fitting, 
and  she  heard  the  sad,  yet  stirring  story,  quietly, 
and  after  a  pause  uttered  a  strange  saying,  such  as 
ordinarily  is  never  heard  from  childish  lips, — "He 
is  gone  and  the  leaves  are  going,  but  he  will  come  to 
me  again  with  the  leaves."  He  revolved  this 
strange  saying  in  his  heart,  but  went  through  the 
woods  to  the  house  wThere  his  aged  ancestress 
awaited  his  coming. 

"I  knew  of  your  return,"  she  said,  "and,  had  I  not 
promised  to  await  it,  had  been  ere  now  in  the 
blessed  fields  to  the  great  west,  where  the  loved  of 
my  youth  waits  for  my  coming.  Tell  me  all  now, 


498  Cartagena 


for  the  talking  paper  never  came,  and  I  am  weary 
of  waiting." 

He  told  .her  of  the  death  of  Caneotus,  of  the  siege, 
the  fall  of  Stephen  and  his  storming  party,  and,  last 
of  all,  the  strange  saying  of  little  Tempie.  She  was 
silent  a  moment,  looking  fixedly  into  the  embers  of 
the  hearth. 

"She  is  right,"  she  said,  at  last.  "He  will  come 
again  in  the  time  of  leaves  and  flowers,  for  he  is  not 
yet  of  those  who  can  come  at  my  bidding." 

She  set  before  him  her  best  fare,  commended  his 
fidelity  and  courage,  and  told  him  that  all  she  had 
was  to  be  his,  and  where  certain  small  savings  were 
concealed.  Then  late  at  night  she  sent  him  to  his 
rest,  saying  that  she  would  sit  by  the  fire  a  while 
longer. 

Untequit  slept  long  but  brokenly,  but  when  he 
awoke  the  sun  shone  in  at  the  wide  window;  and, 
noiselessly  descending,  he  found  old  Molly  Pognet; 
still  in  her  great  chair  before  the  fireless  hearth — 
for  the  embers  and  her  life  had  gone  out  together. 


Chapter    XXXVI. 
Popayan 

Calamar,  on  the  Magdalena,  was  the  destination 
of  the  party,  left  on  the  inland  side  of  the  Devil's 
Bridge,  safe  from  further  pursuit  for  a  time  at 
least.  Still  it  was  scarcely  safe  to  strike  into  the 
main  road  at  any  point  nearer  Cartagena  than  Ar- 
jona,  which  place  a  small  village  boasted  of  a  plaza, 
a  few  houses,  a  small  chapel  and  a  posada  or  stop 
ping  place. 

The  building  thus  used  was  properly  one  of  the 
tiendas,  or  small  shops  of  the  country,  a  house  of  two 
rooms,  the  outer  with  a  counter  drawn  across  it 
just  before  the  entrance,  and  with  a  second  door 
behind  the  counter,  opening  into  the  sala,  a  dining, 
dancing  and  sleeping  room  all  in  one. 

Here,  after  a  careful  reconnoisance  by  Sanchez, 
who,  driving  forward  two  of  the  baggage  mules, 
emerged  first  into  the  main  highway,  the  party 
fed  and  rested  their  mules,  and  hanging  their  ham 
mocks  in  the  large,  open  shed  allotted  for  that  pur 
pose,  slept  until  midnight.  Then,  learning  that  an 
armed  convoy  was  expected  from  Cartagena,  it  was 
determined  that  it  would  be  only  prudent  to  push 
forward  by  moonlight  to  Mahates,  where,  certain 
that  the  convoy  would  not  follow  them  that  night, 
they  again  rested  until  the  next  morning. 

From  that  point,  through  an  undulating,  heavily 
wooded  country,  abounding  in  a  variety  of  strange 


500  Cartagena 


palms  and  rare  woods,  they  pushed  on  in  haste  to 
the  great  river  Magdalena.  There,  for  the  last 
time,  Sanchez  lifted  the  well  secured  tercios,  or 
"half  ladings/7  from  his  tired  mules,  and  surveyed 
the  low  flat  prairie  or  rather  plain,  through  which 
the  great  river  pours  its  turbid  water. 

The  champans,  or  river  boats,  hired  for  the  voyage, 
were  ready  for  instant  departure,  although  several 
of  the  boatmen  of  each  were,  as  the  party  came 
down  to  the  bank,  engaged  in  one  of  the  wrild 
dances  peculiar  to  their  class.  Half  clothed,  bare 
headed,  with  naked  breasts  and  limbs,  they 
danced  to  the  thumping  of  a  kind  of  tambourine,  of 
rude  drums  formed  by  drawing  a  tight  skin  across 
the  opening  of  a  calabash  or  earthen  pot,  and  a 
vocal  accompaniment  which  even  to  Sanchez  was 
unintelligible. 

Their  partners  were  half-breed  girls  and  women, 
dressed  for  the  most  part  only  in  long  white 
caiJiisas,  reaching  to  the  knee,  wTith  their  long  purple- 
black  hair  floating  loosely  over  their  shoulders,  and 
no  ornaments  save  a  bright  scarlet  trumpet  flower, 
worn  above  the  temple,  or  at  the  junction  of  the 
coarse  laces  at  their  throats. 

Those  who  were  not  dancing  bore  torches,  and 
solemnly  kept  time  to  the  music  with  their  flam 
beaux;  and  as  the  lading  of  the  beasts  was  being 
transferred  to  the  boats,  whose  patrons  were  anx 
ious  to  get  back  to  their  homes  up  at  the  head 
waters  of  the  Magdalena,  Hay,  noticing  that  they 
paid  no  heed  to  the  stowing  of  the  cargo,  turned  to 
Sanchez  and  inquired  the  reason  of  their  neglect. 


Popayan  501 


The  old  muleteer  turned  to  Antonio,  and  in  a 
tongue  which  certainly  was  not  Spanish,  held  a 
short  conversation  with  the  hunter.  When  it  was 
finished  Antonio  turned  to  Hay,  who  stood  by  the 
brink  of  the  river  beside  a  large  fire,  built  so  near 
to  the  bank,  that  the  stern  of  the  champan  on  which 
Inez  and  her  servants  had  embarked  was  close  be 
hind  him.  Just  inside  of  the  long,  narrow  cabin  her 
splendid  face  shone  in  the  glare  of  the  flames,  as  she 
watched  the  dancers  on  the  bank  above. 

"They  sing  of  love,"  said  Antonio  softly.  "Of  an 
Indian  chief  who,  many  generations  ago  came  down 
the  river,  leaving  his  love  behind  him.  He  was  the 
guest  of  a  great  chief,  whose  daughter  was  tall  and 
beautiful  exceedingly,  so  that  all  men  were  ravished 
with  her  beauty,  but  she  cared  for  none  until  he 
came  to  help  her  father  against  his  enemies.  But  so 
great  was  her  passion,  that  she  seemed  to  care  only 
for  him,  and  became  as  fond  as  the  weakest  of 
womankind.  But  he,  though  he  loved  in  turn,  would 
not  tell  his  love  or  be  false  to  the  maiden  at  the 
foot  of  the  great  mountains;  so  he  sent  her  the  wing 
of  the  quezal  bird  he  had  won  in  battle,  but  its 
feathers  were  touched  with  the  flames,  in  token  that 
he  fled  because  he  had  felt  the  fire  of  love.  But 
when  he  came  to  the  cold  springs,  he  found  that  his 
love  had  wedded  another  chief ;  and,  turning,  he  met 
on  his  way  back  the  answer  to  his  message,  a  stuffed 
quezal  bird,  such  as  the  greatest  of  those  days  could 
wear.  And  the  bearers  assured  him  that  Athalpa 
held  him  to  be  all  the  dearer  that  he  would  not  for 
get  his  plighted  faith." 


502  Cartagena 


"He  was  right,"  said  Stephen  thoughtfully,  "yet 
it  must  have  been  in  sore  struggle  of  mind,  that  he 
gained  his  victory  of  self-sacrifice." 

The  beautiful  face  drew  back  into  the  shadow, 
as  Stephen  instinctively  turned  to  survey  the  light 
roof,  beneath  which,  as  he  supposed,  reposed  the 
vision  of  beauty  which  had  for  so  many  days  made 
the  dusky  cavern  a  palace,  danger  a  forgotten 
dream,  and  the  broken  and  difficult  forest  roads 
very  paths  of  Eden.  By  the  light  of  the  lanterns  her 
face  seemed  paler  than  was  wont,  and  little  Josefa, 
her  maid,  hastened  toward  her  with  an  exclamation 
of  fear. 

"Hush,  child!''  said  she,  drawing  herself  up  with 
superb  grace.  "Let  us  listen  to  Antonio's  story." 

"Ocana  received  the  gift,  and  in  company  with  the 
messengers  hastened  down  the  river,  but  was  slain 
by  a  jaguar,  while  sleeping,  only  a  day's  journey 
from  the  arms  of  Athalpa,  and  the  Indians  sing  his 
story  as  they  dance  by  the  river." 

"A  sad  story,"  said  Stephen;  "and  doubtless  even 
these  poor  boatmen,  praise  his  constancy  and  lament 
his  fate." 

"Why,  yes,"  said  Antonio,  hesitatingly.  "But 
they  pity  him  more  in  that  having  the  love  of  so 
beautiful  and  noble  a  princess,  he  encountered  dan 
ger,  grief  and  fatigue  for  a  mistress  so  far  away,  and 
a  thing  so  weak  as  the  word  of  a  woman.  But  the 
bogas  have  ended  their  song,  and  we  shall  soon  start. 
The  Senor  Olivarez  takes  the  small  champan,  and  I 
go  with  him.  Andreas,  the  major-domo,  with  Jos6 
and  yourself  accompany  the  Donna  Inez,  and  will 


ropayan  503 


precede  us  several  miles,  for  we  are  to  watch  at  the 
bends  to  see  if  we  are  pursued." 

As  he  finished  speaking,  Sanchez  and  Olivarez 
drew  near;  for  the  lading  was  completed,  and  noth 
ing  remained  for  the  old  men  but  the  trying  task 
of  a  final  separation.  It  was  evident  that  Sanchez 
was  urgent  in  his  importunities  to  accompany  his 
leader,  while  Olivarez  was  not  less  firm  in  refusing 
to  profit  by  an  act  of  kindness,  which  the  years  and 
circumstances  of  his  old  follower  would  have  made 
too  great  a  sacrifice. 

"Nay,  Sanchez,"  he  said,  at  length;  "we  are  no 
longer  as  wre  were  fifty  years  since,  when,  in  the 
prime  of  our  strength  and  the  flush  of  victory,  we 
became  prisoners  at  Cartagena.  The  years  that  are 
gone  have  lost  to  us  all  that  was  dear  beyond  the 
great  seas,  and  other  loves  have  supplanted  the  dear 
ones  we  left  behind  in  England,  where  doubtless  our 
very  names  are  forgotten.  I  go,  if  I  ma}',  to  a  colder 
land  and  a  strange  country,  where  in  peace  and 
quiet  I  may  meet  the  sure  death  which  consumes 
me ;  and  the  Senorita  Inez  will  find  a  home  with  my 
brother  Captain  Oliver.  You  must  stay  behind 
You  know  the  secret  of  the  cavern  ajid  its  maga  - 
zines;  henceforth  they  and  their  contents  are  yours, 
well  earned  by  years  of  faithful  service.  One  thing 
you  can  do:  Remain  here  as  if  to  rest  your  mules, 
and,  if  any  pursue,  take  the  river  trail  with  your 
fastest  horse.  Spare  not  for  loss  or  rest  until  you 
reach  the  Cauca.  If  I  pass  into  it  before  you,  you 
will  find  a  broken  paddle  stuck  in  the  sand,  and  on 
its  blade  you  will  find  any  message  I  may  wish  to 


504  Cartagena 


leave  you.  Thence  you  will  send  me  tidings  of  dan 
ger,  or  come  yourself,  to  bring  them ;  but  if  in  three 
days'  time  you  hear  of  no  pursuit,  return  to  your 
daughter;  and  may  the  blessing  of  God  go  and  re 
main  with  you!" 

The  boats  were  ready ;  all  were  embarked ;  and  the 
bogas,  throwing  off  their  scant  clothing,  rushed  into 
the  water,  and  shouldered  the  long,  narrow,  flat- 
bottomed  champans  into  the  channel,  not  without 
considerable  noise,  and  a  slight  panic  produced  by 
arousing  a  small  alligator  from  the  depths  of  a 
muddy  depression  or  ditch.  But  soon  all  were  afloat 
and  the  bogas,  taking  their  long  setting-poles, 
placed  their  forked  ends  on  the  muddy  bottom,  and, 
with  the  others  at  their  shoulders,  walked  along  the 
convex  roof  of  the  toldo  or  cabin  on  either  side,  forc 
ing  the  boat  against  the  sluggish  current. 

The  moon  was  rising,  and  Sanchez  and  the  peo 
ple  of  the  hamlet  stood  almost  in  line  with  the  huge 
orb ;  and  as  they  reached  the  first  bend  of  the  river, 
the  muleteer  raised  his  carbine,  and  its  echoing  re 
port  carried  to  the  ears  of  Olivarez  the  last  farewell 
of  the  English  country  lad  who,  half  a  century  be 
fore,  had  followed  his  adventurous  fortunes  to  the 
Spanish  seas. 

Stephen  now  had  time  to  look  about  him,  and 
found  the  boat  to  be  about  forty  feet  long  by  seven 
in  breadth,  open  at  both  sides  but  covered  in  for 
twenty  feet  with  a  roof  of  woven  poles  thatched 
with  the  leaves  of  the  palm.  Several  large  beams 
about  four  feet  from  the  deck  crossed  the  passage 
way  between  the  baggage  piled  up  on  either  side, 


Popayan  505 


and  hammocks  slung  just  above  these  formed  the 
sleeping  accommodations.  Andreas  had  curtained 
off  about  one-third  of  the  toldo  for  Inez  and  her 
maid,  and  in  a  box  filled  with  sand  the  fire  was  made 
at  which  the  water  was  heated  for  chocolate,  and  the 
coarse  food  of  the  crew  was  prepared. 

This  for  the  most  part  consisted  of  tasajo,  or  beef 
cut  in  strips,  rubbed  in  salt  and  dried  in  the  sun,  a 
large  pile  of  which  lay  in  the  forward  part  of  the 
rude  cabin,  while  half  a  score  huge  bunches  of  green 
plantains  hung  above  from  the  arched  roof,  and  of 
these  two  ingredients  a  kind  of  thick  soup  or  stew 
was  compounded,  which  seemed  to  be  the  staple 
food  of  the  bogas.  The  turbid  water  of  the  river, 
held  in  large  jars  called  tinajas,  was  purified  by 
passing  through  a  filter  of  porous  stone  shaped  like 
a  bowl  and  holding  two  gallons  or  more. 

The  passengers  were  better  provided  for.  An 
dreas  had  purchased  a  coop  of  fowls,  and  quantities 
of  eggs,  maize,  rice,  beans,  bananas  and  other  fruits, 
while  the  extra  mules  had  borne  loads  of  flour,  cho 
colate,  sugar,  oil  and  wine,  to  take  the  place  of  the 
coarse  provisions  and  aromatic  anisado,  of  which  the 
patrons  or  captains  of  champans  usually  made  their 
chief  provision.  From  these  supplies,  with  the  help 
of  the  other  servants,  Andreas  set  before  the  trav 
elers  meals  almost  as  varied  as  those  enjoyed  at  the 
snow-white  cottage,  whose  blackened  ruins  stood 
amid  the  blasted  shrubbery  outside  the  walls  of  San 
Lazaro. 

The  weather  was  for  the  most  part  mild  and 
equable,  and  the  boats  were  new,  clean,  and  the 


506  Cartagena 


best  of  their  class,  while  the  patrons  and  their 
crews,  kept  in  the  best  of  spirits  by  good  food  and 
extra  pay,  pressed  on  up  the  river  at  a  rate  which 
passed  many  boats  which  had  long  preceded  them 
from  Calamar,  much  to  the  astonishment  of  the 
boatmen,  who  could  not  understand  such  unwonted 
haste.  At  the  Cauca  they  stopped  only  to  leave  the 
promised  message  for  Sanchez,  but  the  lettered  pad 
dle  rotted  where  it  stood,  for  Sanchez,  finding  that 
no  pursuit  was  made,  went  back  to  his  quiet  plan 
tation  and  his  daughter  Juanita,  who  a  year  later 
married  Balthazar. 

To  them  in  due  time  came  back  Antonio,  who, 
having  accompanied  the  party  to  the  head  of  navi 
gation  on  the  Cauca,  was  sent  back  to  his  friends  by 
Olivarez,  who,  after  a  short  stay  at  Popayan,  pur 
posed  to  cross  the  mountains  to  Quito,  and  thence 
find  his  way  to  the  West  Indies  by  some  French  or 
Spanish  armed  vessel  or  privateer. 

But  the  Senor  Olivarez  was  not  fated  to  reach 
Quito,  for  on  the  last  day  of  their  voyage  up  the 
Cauca,  now  become  a  deep  and  rapid  stream,  a  sud 
den  snow  storm  from  the  gorges  of  the  Cuancas. 
swept  down  the  river,  and  nearly  involved  both 
champans  in  one  common  ruin  in  the  swollen  torrent. 
By  great  exertion  a  shelter  was  found  for  the  boats, 
and  after  the  storm  a  day,  unusually  bright  and  fair 
for  the  season,  finished  their  long  voyage  on  the 
Cauca. 

But  Olivarez  found  himself  attacked  by  a 
mortal  decline,  which  so  reduced  his  strength  that 
taking  a  house  in  Popayan,  he  began  to  prepare 


Popayan  507 


for  the  final  change,  whose  approach  was  so  evident 
and  rapid.  It  is  almost  needless  to  say  that  Hay  did 
not  leave  him,  or  that  the  affection  he  had  already 
begun  to  feel  for  the  Senorita  Inez  increased  with 
every  week  of  the  long  sickness  of  Olivarez. 

Still  it  was  not  until  the  next  spring,  or  rather 
winter,  that  the  ex-buccaneer  breathed  his  last,  hav 
ing  made  his  peace  with  God,  and  left  as  a  sacred 
trust  to  Hay,  the  safe  conveyance  of  Inez  and  her 
riches  to  John  Hewson  of  Spring  Hill. 

The  parting  was  sad  indeed;  all  the  more  that  the 
dying  man  could  neither  impart  nor  receive  the  last 
fond  embraces,  which  tell  so  much  better  than 
words,  the  peaceful  resignation  and  fond  farewells 
of  a  departing  friend. 

"I  have  only  one  promise  to  ask  of  you,  Senor 
Hay,"  he  said,  the  night  before  his  death;  "and  that 
is  that,  as  heretofore,  you  wrill  take  the  same  care 
of  my  orphan  daughter  as  if  she  were  indeed  your 
own  sister.  Should  the  time  ever  come  that  you  feel 
disposed  to  seek  her  in  marriage,  say  nothing  of  it 
to  her,  until  you  place  her  in  the  care  of  her  only 
protector,  my  brother.  Do  you  promise  this?" 

Stephen  hesitated  a  moment,  and  turned  red  and 
white  by  turns.  "I  promise,"  he  said  faintly.  "But 
I  must  tell  you  that  I  am  already  betrothed,  and 
dare  not  love  the  Senorita  Inez.  It  is  hard  work  to 
refuse  to  adore  her,  she  is  so  beautiful,  pure  and 
noble;  and  I  am  like  one  who,  being  entrusted  with  a 
jewel  of  price,  can  scarce  listen  to  the  demands  of 
virtue,  but  almost  deems  that  any  sin  would  prove  a 
cheap  price,  at  which  to  attain  to  so  great  a  prize. 


508  Cartagena 


Therefore,  I  beg  of  you,  let  your  major-domo  take 
this  trust;  he  is  older,  and  will,  I  think,  be  truer 
than  L" 

"I  have  led  and  tried  many  men,  and  I  take  your 
promise,  albeit  unwillingly  given,  as  worth  more 
than  the  oaths  of  many  who  have  less  decision  of 
purpose.  Take  then  the  trust.  You  will  give  to  him, 
whom  you  have  known  as  John  Hewson,  but  better 
known  as  John  Oliver,  the  belt  I  spoke  of,  and  re 
ceive  a  fitting  reward." 

The  next  morning  his  attendant  found  that  his 
master  had  passed  away;  and  for  two  years  more 
Inez  and  her  servants  remained  at  Popayan,  be 
cause  of  the  ravages  of  Anson  and  other  English 
adventurers  on  the  Pacific  coast;  which  had  made 
the  hope  of  getting  safely  away  so  fearfully  small, 
that  even  Hay  felt  that  nothing  better  could  be 
done,  than  to  patiently  await  the  close  of  the  war 
and  the  renewal  of  commerce.  * 

So  Inez  and  Stephen,  known  only  as  brother  and 
sister,  became  a  part  of  the  society  of  Popayan,  un 
til,  in  the  latter  part  of  1743,  there  came  news  of  a 
French  fleet  about  to  set  sail  for  the  West  Indies 
and  the  port  of  Brest,  in  France. 

Stephen  Hay  did  not  spend  these  three  years  in 
idleness  amid  the  delights  and  pleasures  of  Popa 
yan,  or  in  the  company  of  Inez,  for  he  felt  but  too 
fully  that  long  stay  in  the  eternal  spring,  which 
ever  preserves  the  verdant  forests  beside  the  Moli 
na,  and  constant  companionship  with  the  orphan 
daughter  of  Olivarez  would  banish  the  remembrance 
of  the  summer  beauty  of  his  northern  home,  and  the 


Popayan  500 


less  resplendent  charms  and  milder  spirit  of  Mar 
garet,  to  whom  he  still  felt  bound  by  all  the  ties  of 
honor  and  promised  love. 

The  care  of  Father  Carreno  had  afforded  Inez  the 
countenance  and  protection  of  persons  high  in  rank 
and  station ;  and  although  by  a  kind  of  pious  fraud 
Hay  was  permitted  to  assume  the  name  and  rank 
of  the  deceased  Don  Carlos;  it  was  easily  to  be  seen 
by  him,  that  only  the  unseen  influence  of  the  leper 
priest,  could  have  secured  him  from  the  hatred  of 
officials,  who  seemed  to  know  as  if  by  instinct  that 
he  was  of  the  same  race  as  their  English  foes. 

But  despite  the  gaiety,  beauty  and  wealth  of  the 
mountain  city;  for  Popayan,  standing  GOOO  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea,  with  her  tall  spires,  broad, 
paved  streets,  stone  sidewalks  and  whitewashed 
houses,  was  at  that  time  the  centre  of  a  mercantile 
and  mining  trade  unexcelled  in  New  Granada ;  Hay 
greeted  with  joy  an  accident  which  opened  to  him 
the  prospect  of  advantageous  and  fitting  employ 
ment,  and  the  hope  of  obtaining  a  passage  from 
some  Pacific  port  to  the  world  and  home  from  which 
he  wyas  separated. 

For  in  1735  a  joint  commission  had  been  sent  out 
by  the  French  and  Spanish  governments  to  measure 
and  mark  out  a  meridian  in  the  vicinity  of  Quito,  the 
then  capital  of  New  Gran'ada,  and  when,  in  no  very 
friendly  spirit,  it  was  intimated  to  him  that  the 
French  and  Spanish  commissioners  found  it  difficult 
to  obtain  assistants  who  could  bear  the  cold  and 
deadly  tempests  of  the  Paramos,  he  readily  volun 
teered  to  lend  himself  to  a  work,  which,  whatever 


510  .       Cartagena 


the  national  or  religious  tendencies  of  its  projec 
tors,  could  not  fail  to  advance  the  knowledge  and 
interests  of  all  humanity. 

The  party  of  scientific  men  spoken  of  consisted  of 
Don  George  Juan  and  Don  Antonio  de  Ulloa,  both 
captains  in  the  Spanish  navy,  and  reckoned  among 
the  first  astronomers  and  mathematicians  of  their 
age,  who  sailed  in  the  warships  Incendio  and  Con 
quistador  from  Cadiz  in  the  spring  of  1735,  and  were 
joined  at  Cartagena  by  the  French  commission,  con 
sisting  of  Messrs.  Godin,  Boguer  and  De  la  Con- 
damine,  and  their  staff  of  assistants,  embracing  Jus- 
sieu,  botanist;  Seniergues,  surgeon;  Yerguin,  Coup 
let  and  Dessordonnais,  associate  mathematicians; 
Morenville,  draughtsman,  and  Hugo,  horologist. 

The  scene  of  their  chief  labors  was  the  plain  of 
Yaruqui,  situated  a  little  lower  than  the  city  of  Qui 
to,  but  in  a  more  exposed  and  dangerous  situation, 
some  twrelve  miles  northeast  of  that  place ;  a  previous 
attempt  at  the  plateau  of  Cayambe,  some  twenty- 
five  miles  farther  distant  from  the  city,  having  re 
sulted  in  the  sudden  death  of  M.  Couplet,  one  of  the 
French  assistants. 

In  1741  the  services  of  the  Spanish  captains  were 
suddenly  required  by  the  Yiceroy  of  New  Granada; 
inasmuch  as  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  between 
Spain  and  England,  and  the  expected  appearance  of 
a  fleet  under  Commodore  Anson  in  the  Pacific,  had 
spread  alarm  and  dismay  along  the  whole  South 
American  coast,  and  the  assistance  of  officers  of 
such  acknowledged  courage  and  ability  could  not  be 
dispensed  with.  Unfortunately  for  the  Spaniards, 


Popayan  511 


a  rumor  got  abroad  that  the  English  had  turned 
back  at  the  Straits  of  Magellan;  but  Anson  actually 
took  Paita,  the  nearest  large  seaport  of  Quito,  just 
after  these  officers  had  reached  that  city,  after  a 
fruitless  and  hazardous  journey  to  Lima  and  Guay 
aquil  ;  and  until  the  January  of  1744,  the  labor  was 
chiefly  left  to  the  French  academicians,  in  whose 
service  Stephen  Hay  gladly  found  refuge  from  the 
perils  of  exposure  to  the  rage  of  an  unfriendly  peo 
ple,  and  the  dangers  of  a  love  which  he  felt  he  could 
no  longer  control. 

Therefore,  he  faced  with  pleasure  the  constant 
dangers  of  life  among  the  mountain  peaks,  the 
freezing  storms  of  the  Paramos  or  desert  plateaus; 
the  narrow  trails,  broken  and  treacherous,  winding 
along  the  sides  of  giant  cliffs  and  above  yawning 
precipices;  and  the  sand-storms  of  the  lower  deserts, 
where  more  than  once  horse  and  rider  have  been 
suffocated  by  the  smothering  sand  pillars  whirled 
along  by  the  terrible  gales  from  the  mountain 
gorges  above. 

To  rise  early,  and,  after  simple  fare,  to  commence 
the  monotonous  task  of  measuring  vast  lines  across 
the  sterile  plain,  verifying  each  foot  by  the  level  and 
correcting  the  effect  of  every  trifling  inequality  of 
the  ground;  to  ride  long  distances  over  frightful 
roads,  or  climb  lofty  peaks  and  dangerous  cliffs  to 
rectify  an  alignment,  set  up  a  beacon  or  pursue  a 
similarly  monotonous  task,  and  to  return  at  night  to 
the  coarsest  of  camp  fare  and  the  most  meagre  of 
bivouacs  summed  up  the  main  features  of  Hay's 
existence  for  over  two  years. 


512  Cartagena 


At  an  early  period  in  his  novitiation,  an  import 
ant  service  done  to  one  of  the  French  explorers  se 
cured  him  the  friendship  of  both,  to  whom  he  im 
parted  in  confidence  the  reasons  of  his  concealment, 
and  his  hopes  of,  through  their  means,  returning 
some  day  to  his  own  land  and  taking  with  him  the 
child  and  servants  of  the  deceased  Olivarez. 

Before  returning  to  France  in  the  spring  of  1744, 
Messrs.  Boguer  and  Condamine,  having  favorably 
impressed  the  Spanish  captains  with  their  account 
of  the  young  New  Englander,  his  trials  and  hopes,  he 
was  dismissed  by  them  with  instructions  to  return 
to  Popayan  and  bring  from  thence  to  Quito  the  lady 
Inez  and  her  attendants,  it  being  probable  that  be 
fore  the  end  of  the  year,  a  fleet  would  sail  from  some 
Pacific  port  for  France  or  Spain,  or  at  least  the 
West  Indies. 

It  was  in  the  rainy  season  that  he  set  out,  and  the 
trail,  which  led  for  the  most  part  around  the  heads 
of  the  water  courses  and  through  the  paramos  along 
the  mountain  ranges,  was  disagreeable  and  perilous 
in  the  extreme;  but,  thanks  to  his  long  training, 
Hay  bore  his  exposure  easily,  although  more  than 
one  of  his  fellow  travelers  perished,  despite  his  ef 
forts  to  save  them. 

It  was,  therefore,  with  great  joy  that,  at  the  end  of 
the  second  week,  he  saw  below  him  the  white  roofs 
and  tall  spires  of  Popayan,  from  which  more  than 
one  pretty  and  useful  gift  and  tiny  note  had  reached 
him  from  "his  little  sister  Inez."  He  had  become 
hardened  to  exposure  and  peril;  had,  in  the  society 
of  men  of  culture  and  learning,  acquired  a  good 


Popayan  513 


knowledge  of  both  French  and  Spanish,  and  become 
a  prized  assistant  in  the  highest  work  of  the  com 
mission  ;  and,  though  clad  in  the  half-savage  costume 
of  the  mountains,  with  long  boots  of  leopard  skin,  a 
heavy  woolen  cloak  and  a  fur  cap,  such  as  the  moun 
tain  shepherds  manufacture,  Inez,  as  she  welcomed 
him  amid  the  foliage  of  the  patio,  thought  that  she 
had  never  seen  a  man  so  easy  and  elegant  in  man 
ner,  so  noble  in  bearing,  or  so  worthy  of  the  utmost 
love  of  woman. 

He  did  indeed  present  a  striking  contrast  to  the 
languid,  dwarfed,  indolent  and  vicious  descendants 
of  the  Conquistadores,  who  for  months  past  had 
fluttered  around  her  as  moths  around  a  candle,  with 
out  awakening  a  spark  of  sympathy  or  encourage 
ment  from  the  object  of  their  adoration. 

But  he  greeted  her  with  brotherly  affection, 
arid  expressed  his  joy  at  seeing  her  again,  and  his 
approval  of  her  progress  in  the  studies  she  had  pur 
sued  under  the  care  of  the  recluses  of  the  convent 
of  Santa  Teresa.  It  was  necessary,  however,  that 
the  party  should  join  their  Spanish  protectors  at 
Quito,  as  they  proposed  at  once  to  start  for  Callao, 
where  several  French  men-of-war  were  about  to  sail 
for  Europe. 

Stephen  had  brought  from  Quito  a  heavy  mantle 
and  hood  of  soft  and  costly  chinchilla  furs,  and 
busied  himself  with  devising  warm  mittens  of  the 
same  materials,  an  article  of  apparel  so  novel  to  her 
companions,  that  her  girlish  comrades  seemed  to 
think  them  a  miracle  of  convenience  and  comfort. 

Under  his  direction  she  took  long  excursions  on  a 


514  Cartagena 


wiry  little  riding  mule,  whose  paces  were  the  perfec 
tion  of  ease  and  whose  docility,  strange  to  say,  was 
equal  to  her  other  good  qualities;  and  he  had  pro 
vided  for  the  whole  party,  male  and  female,  long  rid 
ing  boots  of  Cordovan  leather,  oiled  to  the  last  de 
gree  of  softness  and  impenetrability. 

Strong  tents  of  double  canvas,  thick  wrappings 
and  blankets,  and  ample  supplies  of  provisions,  med 
icines,  etc.,  were  packed  upon  the  finest  mules  pro 
curable;  and  when,  about  the  first  of  March,  Inez 
bade  adieu  to  her  affectionate  companions  and  pro 
tectors,  all  agreed  that  a  more  complete  and  well- 
equipped  party  had  never  set  out  from  Popayan  to 
cross  the  dreaded  paramos. 

Traveling  at  the  rate  of  about  twenty  miles  a  day, 
they  ascended  the  gorges  of  the  Cordillera  de  Omin- 
dio,  and  were  soon  enveloped  in  the  dense,  cold 
mists,  which,  with  rare  exceptions,  ever  envelop 
the  mountains  in  the  rainy  season,  and  add  to  the 
usual  inconveniences  of  mountain  travel,  exposure 
to  half  concealed  obstacles  and  perils. 

More  than  once,  as  the  startled  Inez  turned  her 
head  from  the  beetling  wall  of  rough  granite  or  slate 
beside  her,  she  saw  almost  at  her  very  feet,  an  abyss 
into  which  a  single  misstep  would  precipitate  beast 
and  rider  to  certain  destruction. 

In  places  too  the  track  was  full  of  camclones,  or 
deep  muddy  holes,  in  w7hich  the  mules  deliberately 
placed  their  feet,  leaping  in  and  out  from  one  to  the 
other,  with  the  agility  of  cats,  although  in  many 
places  the  toes  of  the  rider  touched  the  mud  thrown 
either  side;  and  though  habituated  to  equestrian  ex- 


Popayan  515 


ercise  and  exposure,  Andreas,  Jose'  and  Tomaso,  the 
trained  servants  of  Olivarez,  complained  loudly  at 
times  of  the  fatigues  of  such  a  journey. 

Inez,  however,  and  her  little  attendant  bore  their 
trials  patiently  and  even  cheerfully,  and  at  every 
stopping  place  found  that  the  foresight  of  their  pro 
tector  had,  on  his  homeward  journey,  prepared  a 
provision  of  fuel  and  often  a  substantial  shelter 
more  roomy  and  comfortable  than  the  small  tents 
they  carried. 

In  passing  from  station  to  station  it  was  often 
necessary  to  secure  the  services  of  Indians,  who  dug 
with  heavy  hoes  small  trenches  across  the  roads  of 
chalky  clay,  and  by  means  of  these  only  was  it  pos 
sible  for  even  the  sure  footed  mules  to  ascend  the 
steep  and  slippery  road,  which  perchance,  scarcely 
wide  enough  for  a  single  mule,  winds  above  an  abyss 
several  hundred  feet  in  depth. 

In  descending  such  places  the  mules  slid  rather 
than  wralked  down,  bracing  their  fore  feet  well  for 
ward,  and  guiding  themselves  by  their  hind  feet 
placed  as  if  about  to  lie  down.  Even  those  most  ac 
customed  to  mountain  journeys  displayed  their  fear 
by  snorting  and  trembling  in  every  limb,  and  Ste 
phen,  despite  his  confidence  in  the  beasts  he  had 
chosen,  turned  pale  with  apprehension  as  he  re 
flected  how  a  loose  stone  or  projecting  spur  of  rock, 
might  send  the  fair  young  form  and  brave,  cheerful 
spirit  forever  from  earthly  companionship. 

But,  although  his  companions  rejoiced  as  they  en 
tered  upon  the  level  paramos,  or  elevated  desert 
plains,  which  lie  between  the  spurs  and  ridges  of 


516  Cartagena 


the  Cordilleras,  Stephen  knew  that  the  real  danger 
of  their  untimely  journey  had  but  just  begun,  and 
spared  neither  pains  nor  care  to  lessen  the  chances 
of  a  fatal  catastrophe.  From  the  first,  he  had  in 
sisted  that  his  companions  should  frequently  dis 
mount,  and  excite  a  free  circulation  by  walking  or 
running  beside  their  mules;  and  he  looked  carefully 
to  the  caparisons,  trappings  and  shoeing  of  the  cat 
tle,  and  the  supply  of  wood  or  charcoal  carried  to 
supply  the  small  braziers  used  in  the  tents. 

Notwithstanding  all  his  precautions,  howrever,  the 
sufferings  of  the  party  were  intense ;  for  the  temper 
ature  averaged  some  fifteen  degrees  below  the  freez 
ing  point,  and  the  terrible  velocity  of  the  wind 
seemed  at  times  to  cut  through  the  thickest  clothing 
like  a  knife ;  and  poor  Andreas,  quite  worn  out  with 
age,  and  sadly  frost-bitten,  was  left  at  last,  with  a 
liberal  provision  for  his  old  age,  at  Pasto,  near  the 
head  water  of  the  Mocoa,  while  the  party  pressed 
steadily  on  to  cross  the  intervening  paramos  which 
still  lay  between  them  and  Quito. 

At  last,  only  two  days'  journeying  remained  to  be 
encountered,  and  they  set  out  to  cross  the  plain  of 
Cayambe,  some  twelve  leagues  north  and  east  of 
Quito.  The  sun  had  risen  unobscured,  and  in  the  lee 
of  the  cliff,  where  their  tents  had  been  pitched  for 
the  night,  his  rays  lay  warm  and  cheeringly,  as  if  to 
promise  a  day  of  rare  comfort  for  those  cheerless 
regions. 

The  carga  now  consisted  of  but  eight  persons  and 
as  many  mules,  three  of  the  latter  being  led  bv  as 
many  Indians,  who  had  been  hired  as  the  best  moun- 


Popayan  517 


tain  guides  of  that  region,  and  natives  of  the  village 
of  San  Pablo,  on  the  lake  of  that  name  under  the 
shadow  of  Mount  Cayamburo,  whose  icy  peak,  some 
twenty  miles  away,  was  lost  in  a  cloud  of  singular 
whiteness. 

These  guides,  or  assistants,  were  clothed  in  stout 
knee  breeches  of  llama  skin  with  the  hair  outside, 
and  a  black  frock  woven  like  a  sack,  with  holes  for 
the  head  and  arms,  the  skirt  of  which  came  down  to 
the  knees,  and  gathered  at  the  waist  with  a  strong 
leathern  belt.  A  hat  and  a  kind  of  serge  cloak  called 
.capisayo  completed  the  costume  of  these  men,  who, 
even  in  the  terrible  cold  of  these  elevated  plains, 
cared  not  for  shoes  or  stockings. 

Guapi,  the  eldest,  a  short,  broad-shouldered  man 
of  enormous  strength,  whose  purple-black  hair  swept 
down  over  his  shoulders  to  his  girdle,  sat  before  the 
door,  eating  his  simple  breakfast  from  the  bag  of 
machca,  or  roasted  and  ground  maize,  which  hung  by 
his  side.  With  a  few  spoonfuls  of  water  from  the 
melting  kettle  upon  the  brazier,  and  as  many  of  the 
coarse,  sweet  meal,  he  had  mixed  a  kind  of  paste,  of 
which  the  last  morsel  wras  disappearing  down  his 
capacious  throat  when  Stephen  called  him  to  one 
side. 

"I  do  not  like  those  clouds  around  the  mountain," 
said  Hay  in  a  low  tone.  "Will  they  descend,  or  shall 
we  have  a  good  day  for  the  crossing?" 

"  'Tis  not  likely,"  said  Guapi,  gravely.  "The  wind 
is  cold  and  from  the  north,  but  we  have  no  wood 
for  tomorrow,  and  the  storm  if  it  descends  will  last 
more  than  two  days." 


518  Cartagena 


"There  is  wood  halfway  across  at  the  old  ruins," 
said  Stephen.  "Think  you  we  can  reach  there  before 
the  storm  bursts?" 

The  Indian  was  preparing  the  inevitable  ball  of 
coca  leaves  and  lime,  but  gave  a  searching  glance 
around  as  he  spoke.  "It  may  be,  but  we  must  set  out 
at  once  and  travel  fast,  for  we  shall  have  snow  and 
hail  as  well  as  wind  if  I  know  the  signs  that  threaten 
us  from  Cayamburo." 

"Remember,  Guapi,"  said  Stephen,  as  they  sepa 
rated.  "Whatever  happens,  the  women  are  first  to 
be  looked  to.  If  we  all  perish  save  these,  take  them 
on  to  Quito  and  you  shall  have  gold  to  your  full 
satisfaction." 

"It  matters  not,"  said  Guapi,  simply.  "An  Indian 
needs  not  gold,  and  Guapi  would  be  at  home,  were  it 
not  for"  the  food  and  medicine  which  saved  the  life 
of  his  son  last  year.  Be  content — if  the  Seiior  cares 
more  for  the  life  of  a  woman  that  his  own,  we  will 
save  her,  though  she  be  of  the  accursed  blood  of  our 
oppressors." 

In  a  few  moments  the  tents  were  struck,  the  mules 
ready,  and  the  party  issued  from  the  sheltered  re 
cess  into  the  wind-swept  paramo  of  Cayambe. 

As  they  entered  the  desert  the  keen,  cutting  air 
seemed  to  pierce  even  the  multitudinous  wrappings 
with  which  Inez  and  her  attendant  had  been  pro 
vided,  while  Tomaso  and  Jose'  flinched  like  children 
as  they  felt  the  first  terrible  blasts  from  the  snow- 
covered  gorges  of  Ca3~amburo,  and  the  latter,  before 
their  mules  had  made  a  single  mile's  progress,  was 
carrying  a  flask  of  aquadiente  to  his  lips,  as  if  to  renew 


1'opayan  519 


the  yital  warmth  lost  in  so  short  a  space  of  time  and 
distance. 

Guapi,  who  strode  at  the  head  of  the  carga,  let  go 
the  bridle  of  his  mule  and  seized  his  arm.  "If  you 
care  to  live,"  said  he,  impressively,  "let  not  a  single 
drop  pass  you  lips  on  the  paramo.  Give  your  flask 
to  the  master,  and  let  him  say  when  you  are  to  drink 
of  the  firewater.  When  we  are  inside  the  walls  of 
yonder  ruin,"  and  he  pointed  to  a  black  wall  near  the 
foot  of  Cayamburo,  "you  will  need  your  flask.  Give 
it  to  the  master  until  then." 

Stephen  heard  his  saying,  and  at  once  left  the  side 
of  Inez  and  came  up  to  the  unwilling  half-breed.  "He 
says  truly,  Jose.  Give  me  your  flask.  Dismount 
and  lead  your  mule  for  a  few  rods,  and  then  you  may 
remount,  warmer  and  ready  for  another  spell  in 
the  saddle." 

Jos£  was  about  to  refuse,  angrily,  but  Tomaso 
slowly  descended,  Inez  slid  from  her  Spanish  saddle 
to  the  ground,  followed  by  her  maid,  and  Jos6,  half 
angry,  half  ashamed,  gave  up  his  flask  and  followed 
their  example.  A  few  hundred  yards  further  on 
they  remounted,  and  pushed  on  at  a  fast  amble,  pass 
ing  through  a  tract  of  a  kind  of  stiff,  dry  rush,  near 
ly  fifteen  inches  high,  over  a  trail  mainly  visible  by 
the  mere  depression  of  the  herbage,  and  the  half- 
concealed  bones  of  man  and  beast,  which  but  too 
well  confirmed  the  stories  of  suffering,  loss,  and 
death  encountered  by  passengers  over  this  dreary 
waste. 

Five  miles  had  been  crossed  at  the  end  of  three 
short  half  hours,  when,  as  they  halted  to  dismount 


520  Cartagena 


again,  Guapi  uttered  an  ejaculation  of  alarm,  and 
pointed  to  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  around 
which  the  vapors  had  gathered  and  grown  black  un- 
till  the  top  was  no  longer  visible.  "A  snow  storm  is 
coming,"  he  cried.  'Tush  on,  master,  or  we  are  lost." 

Stephen  laid  his  heavy  whip  of  rawhide  over  the 
slow-paced  mules,  and  drawing  from  his  breast 
a  pocket  compass  took  the  bearings  of  their  only 
house  of  refuge,  the  ruined  Aztec  mounds,  still 
nearly  two  leagues  away.  "It  bears  due  south,"  he 
muttered  to  himself;  "  'twill  go  hard  if  I,  who  have 
faced  a  northwester  in  Boston  bay,  cannot  keep  my 
course  on  solid  land  in  this  latitude." 

But  as  he  spoke  the  black,  gloomy  vapors  de 
scended  the  sides  of  the  mountain,  shutting  out  first 
the  lowrer  ice  fields,  then  the  ragged  spurs  at  its  base 
and  the  plain  before  them,  and  at  last,  with  a  per 
fect  burst  of  fury,  the  sharp  hail  and  blinding  snow 
struck  them  full  in  the  face;  the  first  gust  bringing 
with  it  clouds  of  dust,  a  flurry  of  coarse  stalks  and 
seed  vessels,  and  even  whirling  columns  of  mingled 
snow  and  sand,  which,  in  the  track  of  a  dozen  whirl- 
wands,  swept  by  in  dangerous  proximity  to  the 
party. 

As  its  first  force  struck  them,  the  mules 
braced  themselves  against  the  blast,  stretching  their 
noses  to  the  earth  and  trembling  in  every  limb,  as 
they  had  in  the  more  dangerous  descents  of  the  Cor 
dilleras;  while  the  Indians,  turning  their  backs  to 
the  storm,  held  fast  with  both  hands  to  the  strong 
riatas,  and,  digging  their  heels  into  the  sand,  leaned 
backwards  to  add  their  weight  to  that  of  the  animals 
they  led. 


Popayan  521 


The  others  bowed  their  heads  aiid  held  to  the  high 
pommels  of  their  saddles;  but,  although  none  were 
unseated,  it  was  several  minutes  before  the  first 
terrible  blast,  which  attacked  them  from  half '  a 
dozen  separate  points  of  the  compass  in  quick  suc 
cession,  lost  its  first  savage  force  and  settled  down 
into  a  furious  gale,  setting  for  the  most  part  full  in 
the  teeth  of  the  little  party,  and  accompanied  by  a 
fall  of  soft,  moist  snow,  which  shut  out  from  view 
everything  a  hundred  paces  distant. 

Guapi  turned,  threw  his  arm  up  with  a  significant 
gesture,  and  started  at  a  brisk  pace,  urging  on  his 
unwilling  mules  wTith  merciless  blows  of  his  raw 
hide  quirt,  and  his  Indian  companions,  throwing  off 
their  usually  stolid  manner,  stoutly  struggled 
against  the  storm,  guided  by  the  broken  herbage  not 
yet  concealed  by  the  fast  falling  snow.  Stephen, 
riding  between  Inez  and  her  maid,  linked  the  bridles 
of  the  three  mules  together  and,  bidding  the  poor 
girls  cover  their  faces,  pressed  on  behind  them, 
while  Jose'  and  Tomaso  brought  up  the  rear. 

For  a  wrhile  nothing  was  heard  but  the  hard 
breathing  of  the  mules,  the  sweeping  rush  of  the  fre 
quent  gusts,  or  an  ejaculation  of  encouragement  or 
rage  from  the  servants,  for  the  three  Indians 
pressed  on  as  if  insensible  to  cold  and  fatigue,  al 
though  the  mules  themselves  showed  more  and  more, 
as  the  lagging  moments  crept  on,  the  effects  of  the 
constant  strain  of  an  advance  foot  by  foot  against 
the  force  of  the  gale. 

Suddenly  Guapi  halted,  and  Stephen,  dismount 
ing,  hastened  to  the  front,  where  he  found  that  a 


522  Cartagena 


new  peril  had  presented  itself  and  that  they  had  en 
tered  upon  a  sterile  tract  of  sand,  everywhere  cov 
ered  with  a  level  carpet  of  recently  fallen  snow, 
which  concealed  the  slight  traces  left  by  preceding 
travelers,  and  which,  though  thin,  had  turned  to  ice 
as  soon  as  fallen.  The  Indians  had  linked  their 
mules  together,  and  two,  taking  hatchets  in  their 
hands,  were  cutting  out  junks  of  sandy  ice,  which 
they  examined  carefully  by  sight  and  smell,  and  at 
last  one  uttered  a  cry  which  announced  that  the 
trail  lay  more  to  the  left,  a  fact  which  Stephen  veri 
fied  by  his  pocket  compass. 

The  air  grew  colder,  the  gloom  thicker,  the  snow, 
no  longer  moist,  eddied  in  their  faces  in  blinding 
gusts,  as  Guapi  spoke.  "Will  yonder  point  lead  the 
master  to  the  ruins  of  La  Casa?" 

"Yes,  Guapi,  I  can  lead  you,  though  the  snow 
were  thicker  than  this." 

"Then  move  on  to  the  front,  and  when  your  mules 
stumble  among  the  huacas  of  the  ruins  Guapi  will 
find  a  shelter.  Now  we  go  to  the  rear,  or  Don  Jose' 
and  Don  Tomaso  will  be  lost  in  the  tormenta.  Hear 
how  it  comes  down  the  mountain.  Press  on,  and 
may  our  Lady  of  Succor  help  us  now." 

As  he  ceased,  the  first  fury  of  the  storm  revived, 
and  as  he  bent  himself  against  the  blast  Stephen 
could  only  think,  as  he  strove  to  start  his  unwilling 
mules  against  its  pitiless  rage,  of  the  first  shudder 
ing  recoil  of  a  stout  ship,  stripped  to  the  bare  yards, 
and  meeting  the  full  force  of  a  hurricane.  One  mule, 
that  of  Tomaso,  was  actually  carried  off  its  legs,  but 
with  the  aid  of  the  faithful  Indians  was  soon  righted; 


Po pay a n  523 


and  laying  his  compass  on  the  high  pommel  of  his 
mountain  saddle,  and  sweeping  off  the  snow  crys 
tals  with  his  mittened  left  hand,  Hay  led  the  way 
across  the  shrouded  plain,  and  more  than  once  saw 
his  stumbling  mules  throw  up  from  the  occasional 
drifts  the  thigh  bone  of  a  mule,  or  fragments  of  a 
human  skeleton. 

The  cold  deepened,  the  fury  of  the  storm  seemed 
if  anything  to  increase,  and  poor  Rosita  moaned  and 
prayed  even  under  her  thick  wrappings.  The  mules 
were  evidently  tiring;  from  the  rear  the  cries  of  To- 
maso  and  Jose'  sounded  less  frequently  and  more 
feebly  than  before;  and  even  Hay  felt  that  he  needled 
all  his  superb  vitality  to  successfully  overcome  the 
deadly  cold.  He  halted  until  the  straggling  caval 
cade  came  together;  he  dismounted  and  hastily 
drew  from  his  saddle  the  blankets  strapped  thereto, 
and  taking  Rosita  from  her  saddle  wrapped  her  in 
them,  and  fastened  her  firmly  on  top  of  the  load  of 
the  strong  baggage  mule  led  by  Guapi.  Inez  re 
fused  to  change  her  jennet  for  another,  but  dis 
mounted  to  warm  her  limbs  by  exercise.  Tomaso 
and  Jose'  were  urged  to  follow  her  example  but  re 
fused,  the  former  in  a  dreamy  tone  like  one  falling 
asleep.  Hay  looked  at  him  closely  and  saw  that  his 
ears  and  part  of  his  face  were  badly  frozen,  and  seiz 
ing  a  handful  of  snow  began  to  restore  the  circula 
tion,  at  the  same  time  unceremoniously  taking  him 
out  of  the  saddle,  and  urging  him  forward  on  foot. 
Guapi  at  once  came  forward  and  linked  the  rear 
most  mules  together,  and  Jos6  was  also  made  to  fol 
low  Tomaso's  example. 


524  Cartagena 


"You  die,  Senor,  if  you  fall  asleep,"  said  Guapi 
gravely,  as  Josd  angrily  cursed  him  for  "an  Indian 
dog";  "and  you  must  walk  were  you  ten  times  a 
Spaniard,  instead  of  a  vagabond  half-breed." 

Josefs  eyes  flashed  fire,  and,  with  a  terrible  oath, 
he  drew  his  knife  and  raised  it  as  if  to  stab  the  In 
dian;  but  Stephen,  with  a  blow  of  his  whip,  struck 
the  weapon  to  the  feet  of  Guapi,  who  coolly  placed  it 
in  his  belt. 

"And  now,  sirrah,"  said  Stephen  angrily,  "go  on 
behind  with  Tomaso,  and,  if  you  falter,  I  will  have 
you  whipped  along  the  road  by  these  honest  men,  to 
w^pm,  if  you  survive,  you  will  owe  your  worthless 
life.  Guapi,"  said  he,  as  he  turned  hastily,  "you 
must  keep  up  behind  me.  Get  these  men  on  if  you 
can,  though  you  whip  them  every  step  of  the  way;  in 
the  last  resort,  give  them  a  few  drops  from  this  flask 
and  lash  them  to  the  mules.  God  grant  that  La  Casa 
be  not  far  distant." 

Hurriedly  he  remounted  and  rode  in  between  the 
muffled  Inez  and  the  motionless  Rosita,  and  lashing 
the  animals  to  their  greatest  speed,  at  the  best  little 
more  than  a  fast  walk,  he  entered  upon  the  last  mile 
of  their  journey.  From  beneath  the  heavy  veils 
which  kept  the  icy  sleet  from  the  face  of  Inez  he 
heard  from  time  to  time  a  low  ejaculation,  as  if  she 
sought  in  prayer  a  refuge  from  the  fear  of  death;  but 
from  Rosita  no  sound  was  heard,  though  some  move 
ment  was  still  perceptible  beneath  the  heavy  wrap 
pings  which  sheltered  the  child's  body. 

From  the  rear  came  the  sound  of  blows  and  occa 
sional  curses  or  weak  entreaties,  which  told  that 


Popayan  525 


Guapi  was  following  closely  with  the  rest  of  the  ca.v- 
alcade,  and  that  JostS  and  Tomaso  were  still  liv 
ing.  But  Stephen  felt  himself  growing  weak  and 
fearful,  and  noted  with  a  hopeless  sense  of  despair, 
that  his  own  mule  seemed  to  stumble,  as  if  about  to 
fall  under  him.  He  was  about- to  dismount,  when 
his  tired  steed  suddenly  fell  on  its  knees,  throwing 
him  over  its  head,  and  all  became  a  blank. 

He  roused  himself  and  looked  about  him  in  a  dark, 
tomb-like  place,  lit  only  by  a  single  candle,  and 
crowded  with  occupants,  five  of  whom  seemed  bend 
ing  over  himself  and  others  whom  at  first  he  could 
not  recognize.  His  own  attendants  seemed  to  be 
two  young  girls,  and  he  felt  his  head  pillowed  in  the 
lap  of  one,  while  another  held  to  his  lips  a  strong 
cordial,  of  which  in  after  days  he  remembered  only 
the  taste,  and  refused  to  believe  that  enough  had 
been  taken  by  him  to  unsettle  the  brain  of  the 
staunchest  toper  of  Quito. 

"He  will  live:  he  will  live!"  he  heard  a  sweet  voice 
say,  and  then  the  grave  face  and  voice  of  Guapi 
seemed  to  blend  w^ith  the  vision. 

"The  Holy  Mother  and  all  the  saints  be  thanked 
therefor,  but  I  fear  the  others  are  gone.  A  curse  on 
yonder  huaca  that  broke  the  leg  of  his  mule.  Were 
he  himself,  something  might  be  done  for  poor  Jose' 
and  Tomaso." 

Stephen  wras  again  sinking  into  stupor,  but  the 
sense  of  responsibility  and  a  feeling  that  he  must 
break  from  the  spell  which  endangered  two  lives, 
seemed,  as  in  certain  dreams,  to  revive  the  strong 
spirit  from  bonds  which  would  have  securely  held 


526  Cartagena 


less  vigorous  souls.  With  a  supreme  effort  of  the 
will,  which  to  him  seemed  almost  to  break  the  bonds 
of  approaching  death,  he  moved  his  lips,  and  as  in 
a  trance  the  low  passionless  tones  of  the  clairvoyant 
seem  scarcely  human,  so  Inez  and  Rosita  almost 
shrank  from  the  •  unnatural  whispers  of  their 
protector. 

"Wrap  them  in  snow !  Chafe  their  limbs  with  your 
hands !  Heat  some  water  and  give  them  mate  instead 
of  brandy.  Remember  that  human  life  is  in  your 
hands!  Human  life!  human  life!" — and  then  all 
again  faded  from  his  failing  wision. 

When  he  awoke  again  the  day  was  mild  and  warm, 
and  the  sun  shone  in  through  the  low  door,  through 
which  he  had  been  carried  into  the  Aztec  chamber 
of  crumbling  stone  and  broken  adobe.  As  he  moved 
Inez  uttered  a  cry  of  joy  and  fell  at  his  side,  and  as 
a  flood  of  tears  fell  from  her  lovely  eyes,  she  fer 
vently  kissed  the  brow  of  the  reviving  adventurer. 
"You  have  been  asleep  so  long,  Stefano,"  she  said, 
"that  we  have  thought  you  would  never  awaken 
again,  and  then  your  little  sister  would  have  been 
alone  in  the  great  world.  Guapi  has  gone  for  mules 
to  Cayambe,  and  Rosita  is  looking  for  fuel  outside. 
She  will  feel  so  glad  to  find  you  better  when  she 
comes  back." 

As  she  bent  above  him  in  the  splendor  of  her  per 
fect  beauty,  he  saw  in  her  eyes  all  the  promise  of  a 
love  whose  depth  and  fervor  he  felt  could  alone  sat 
isfy  the  yearnings  of  a  soul,  to  which  the  narrow 
measure  of  affection  vouchsafed  him  in  the  future 
seemed  inadequate  and  pitiable.  He  longed  to  throw 


Popayan  527 


his  aching  head  upon  her  loving  breast;  to  take  in 
his  fevered  hands  those  firm,  slender,  responsive  fin 
gers;  to  be  able  to  meet  fittingly  the  glances  of 
those  deep,  dark  eyes;  and  utter  those  few  sweet 
syllables  of  the  Spanish  tongue,  which  come  among 
the  first  to  the  lips  of  all  who  learn  that  language, 
rich  in  the  imagery  of  war  and  love,  "yo  te  amo." 

He  had  no  doubt  of  her  answer.  There  is  none  in 
the  hearts  of  men  who,  like  him,  dare  to  claim,  in 
stead  of  meekly  suing;  whose  confidence  springs 
from  the  sense  of  desert,  and  not  from  the  petty 
strategy  of  meaningless  gallantry.  Life  behind  him 
seemed  to  present  a  waste,  without  flowers  or  re 
freshing  streams;  in  her  arms  and  companionship 
an  Eden  presented  itself,  and  without  her  the  future 
seemed  as  the  fire  scathed  groves  and  sterile  deserts 
of  the  cities  of  the  plain. 

But  there  came  back  tojiis  sinking  heart  all  the 
strength  of  purpose  and  sense  of  honor  of  the  day 
when,  with  the  proud  consciousness  of  a  good  deed 
performed,  he  walked  homeward  beneath  the  apple 
boughs  toward  the  homestead  at  Ploughed  Neck. 

"Inez,"  said  he  kindly,  "we  are  alone  in  the  desert 
with  God.  Hast  thou  full  trust  in  me,  who  must 
henceforth  be  thy  only  protector?" 

"I  would  trust  thee,  Stefano,  without  question 
or  doubt.  I  have  no  hope  or  trust  in  any  else,  save 
our  Lady  of  Succour." 

"Dost  thou  remember  the  first  night  of  our  voy 
age  up  the  river,  how  the  bogas  danced  to  the  strange 
song  of  the  wromen  at  Calamar." 

"Yes,  brother.    I  heard  poor  Jose'  tell  thee  the 


528  Cartagena 


tale;  a  sad  one  at  the  best,  but  one  worthy  of  re 
membrance." 

Her  voice  faltered  as  she  spoke,  but  her  clear, 
pure  glance  met  his  steadily,  though  both  noted  an 
expression  of  unutterable  pity  and  regret  in  each 
others'  eyes. 

"Inez,"  said  he  brokenly,  "you  have  heard  the  tale 
and  will  understand  me.  Suppose  that  we,  too,  stood 
beneath  the  palms  of  the  Magdalena;  you  a  princess 
of  the  forest,  I  a  warrior  of  the  upper  river.  Sup 
pose  that  I,  bound  by  my  pledge  if  not  by  love,  pre 
ferring  honor  and  an  empty  heart  to  bliss  purchased 
by  faithlessness,  stood  by  your  side  to  bid  you  fare 
well,  to  tell  you  that  'I  go  back  to  the  upper  springs.7 
What  answer  would  you,  could  you  make  me?" 

For  a  moment  Inez  grew  ashen  white,  her  ripe  lips 
were  compressed  and  without  color,  her  eyes  shut 
tightly  as  if*  to  restrain  her  tears;  but  her  answer 
came  no  less  clearly  than  kindly: 

"Am  I  not  your  sister?  If  it  so  be  that  honor  binds 
you  to  another  beside  the  upper  springs,  I  will  go 
with  you.  If  she  whom  you  love  be  true,  I  will  be 
true  friend  and  sister  to  you  both,  as  you  have  been 
honest  and  true  to  me.  Now  rest,  Stefano,  and  for 
me,  I  will  go  and  pray." 


Chapter    XXXVII. 
Homeward  Bound 

A  few  days  later  the  survivors  of  the  party,  under 
the  guidance  of  Guapi,  reached  Quito  in  safety,  In 
time  to  join  the  Spanish  commissioners  in  their  long 
homeward  journey.  Josd  and  Tomaso  slept  their 
last  sleep  beside  the  ruins  of  the  Aztec  city,  slain  by 
the  icy  blasts  of  the  Paramo  of  Cayambe. 

From  Quito  by  a  less  dangerous  route,  yet  amid 
many  perils,  the  party  reached  Lima  and  thence 
went  to  Callao,  where  two  French  frigates,  the 
Notre  Dame  de  la  Delivrance  and  the  Lys,  lay  ready 
to  sail,  and  embarking  in  the  former  vessel  they  set 
out  from  Callao,  October  23,  1744,  arriving  at  Con- 
cepcion  Bay  November  21st  of  the  same  year. 

Thence  on  the  6th  of  January,  1745,  they  sailed 
with  the  Lys,  a  third  frigate  called  the  Louis  Erasme 
and  a  French  ship,  La  Marquis  D'  Antin,  laden  with 
cocao  for  Europe.  The  voyage  was  long  and  stormy, 
both  the  frigates  being  old  and  leaky,  and  Don  Ar- 
riago,  whose  goods  formed  the  greater  part  of  their 
lading,  on  the  25th  of  March  proposed  to  run  into 
Montevideo  and  refit,  as  also  to  take  the  protection 
of  the  Spanish  man-of-war  Asia,  then  about  to  sail ; 
all  the  more  that  news  had  reached  Conception  of 
the  declaration  of  war  between  France  and  England. 

The  captain,  however,  preferred  to  continue  their 
voyage,  stopping  for  wood  and  water  at  the  Portu 
guese  island  of  Fernando  de  Xoronha,  which  they 
reached  on  the  21st  of  May. 


530  Cartagena 


Partially  repairing  the  Delivrance  and  Lys,  on  the 
10  of  June  they  again  sailed  for  Europe,  and  found 
themselves  at  dawn  of  the  21st  of  July  about  96 
degrees  N.  W.,  5  degrees  West  from  the  Isle  of 
Flores  —  one  of  the  Azores  —  and,  at  six 
o'clock,  discovered  two  strange  sail  bear 
ing  down  upon  the  convoy  then  steering 
N.  E.,  while  the  strange  ships  stood  S.  W.  until 
almost  within  cannon  shot ;  wrhen  the  largest  fired  a 
shotted  gun,  both  hoisted  English  colors,  and  it 
became  evident  that  a  battle  must  ensue. 

La  Delivrance,  which,  though  the  smallest  and 
lightest  armed  of  the  frigates,  led  the  line,  carried 
fourteen  four-pounders  and  had  on  board  but  fifty- 
one  persons  all  told,  including  her  passengers.  Next 
in  line  came  the  Louis  Erasme,  which  had  eight 
eight-pounders  on  the  quarter  and  twelve  six-pound 
ers  on  the  lower  deck,  with  between  seventy  and 
eighty  seamen,  passengers  and  boys;  while  the  Mar 
quis  D'Antin,  with  a  crew  of  from  fifty  to  sixty  per 
sons,  was  armed  with  ten  sixes  and  as  many  four- 
pound  cannon.  All  three  of  the  ships  were  in  poor 
repair,  ill  supplied  with  small  arms  and  ammunition, 
and  fearfully  shorthanded  for  a  contest  against  such 
formidable  adversaries  as  the  strangers  proved 
to  be. 

The  English  vessels  were  the  privateers  Prince 
Frederick,  Captain  James  Talbot,  carrying  twenty- 
four  twelve-pounders  and  six  six-pounders,  with  a 
crew  of  from  two  hundred  to  two  hundred  and  fifty 
men;  and  the  Duke,  Captain  Morecock,  of  twenty 
twelve-pounders,  with  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to 


Homeward  Bound  531 

two  hundred  men;  both  being  provided  with  swivels 
and  musketry  in  abundance.  As  will  be  seen,  the 
larger  privateer  outnumbered  with  her  single  crew 
the  entire  force  of  the  three  vessels,  and  with  a  sin 
gle  broadside  outweighed  the  whole  available  metal 
of  her  puny  antagonists. 

But  the  French  have  never  lacked  the  quality  of 
desperate  courage,  and  the  three  small  ships  carried 
millions  of  dollars  in  coin,  plate  and  bullion,  besides 
the  costliest  productions  of  Spanish  America;  and, 
though  unprovided  with  boarding  nettings  to  repel 
boarders,  and  evidently  pitted  against  overpower 
ing  odds,  the  French  and  Spanish  officers  made  their 
few  preparations  hastily  and  prepared  for  a  stout 
resistance. 

On  board  La  Delivrance,  Inez  and  Rosita,  with 
one  or  two  others  incapable  of  bearing  a  part  in  the 
fight,  were  sent  below7 ;  but  Stephen  remained  upon 
deck,  perplexed  in  mind  as  to  what  his  duty  was  in 
this  juncture  of  affairs,  for  he  could  not  bear  the 
thought  of  fighting  against  his  own  countrymen ;  and 
yet  these  were  seeking  to  injure  men  who,  though 
alien  in  blood,  had  been  generous  to  him  in  his  long 
exile.  To  add  to  his  perplexities,  the  captain  of  the 
frigate  had  supposed  him  throughout  the  voyage  to 
be  a  Spaniard,  and  now  addressed  him  as  an  auxil 
iary  on  whose  services  he  could  depend. 

"And  as  for  you,  Senor  Olivarez,  I  doubt  not  you 
will  do  us  good  service  in  this  sore  peril,  for  these 
accursed  English  privateers  wrill  strip  us  to  the  skin 
if  we  fall  into  their  hands.  I  would  ask  if  you  can 
command  two  of  the  quarter  guns,  for  we  are  short 


532  Cartagena 


handed  and  I  must  send  our  only  quartermaster  to 
the  helm." 

In  an  instant  his  resolution  was  taken.  He  would 
have  no  English  blood  upon  his  hand,  or  conscience, 
but  he  would  risk  his  life  freely  for  his  companions. 

"I  thank  you,  Monsieur  le  Capitaine,"  said  he ;  "but 
let  Gaspard  go  to  his  division,  and  I  will  keep  La 
Delivrance  on  her  course.  He  is  young,  and  you 
know  that  no  man  on  board  can  con  the  old  hussy 
more  closely  than  I." 

"But,"  said  the  master,  gravely,  "you  know  not 
what  you  ask.  We  have  but  poor  defences  at  the 
best,  and  a  hundred  muskets  will  sweep  yonder 
quarter-deck  like  a  tempest  of  death.  Poor  Gaspard 
is  even  now  at  confession,  and  you  surely  would  not 
leave  the  lady  Inez  alone  in  the  world." 

Ulloa,  the  Spanish  captain,  stood  beside  them, 
gazing  with  keenly  searching  eyes  into  the  New 
Englander's  face.  To  him  Stephen  turned  and  ad 
dressed  himself: 

"Don  Antonio  de  Ulloa,  you  can  judge  between  us. 
I  am  unused  to  the  language  of  his  crew,  and  have 
never  practised  at  these  guns;  neither  do  I  know  the 
orders  usually  given  in  action.  I  might,  indeed,  sight 
a  gun  at  short  range,  though  I  should  prefer  to  use  a 
musket  if  I  must  withdraw  my  offer.  But  I  am 
not  afraid  of  death,  and  the  Senorita  Inez  will  re 
main  in  the  protection  of  God,  whether  I  fall  at  the 
helm  of  La  Delivrance  or  steer  her  safely  clear  of 
her  assailants;  for  I  know  you  hope  not  to  conquer 
against  such  odds. 

"You  had  better  give  the  Senor  Olivarez  his  own 


Homeward  Bound  533 

way,"  said  de  Ulloa,  with  a  grim  smile.  "There  is  no 
man  here  who  will  do  that  duty  better,  though  he 
looks  so  little  like  a  weatherbeaten  son  of  the  sea. 
Thou  hast  chosen  well,  my  friend/'  he  continued,  as 
the  captain  moved  out  of  hearing,  "but  these  canaille 
are  not  sailors  of  His  English  Majesty,  but  mere  li 
censed  freebooters,  who  will  rob  you  of  your  last 
pistole,  whether  English,  French  or  Spaniard." 

"I  have  not  yet  made  up  my  mind  not  to  fight,  but 
I  have  held  yonder  post  in  as  great  a  strait,  and 
hope  at  least  to  carry  La  Delivrance  clear  of  her 
enemies." 

The  crews  were  already  at  quarters,  and  Stephen, 
walking  aft,  took  his  place  at  the  tiller,  with  two 
stout  seamen  at  the  ropes  by  which  that  clumsy 
contrivance  was  guided.  Gaspard,  with  a  blush  on 
his  fair,  boyish  face,  thanked  Hay  gratefully,  and 
went  to  his  brace  of  four-pounders  with  a  zeal  which, 
had  it  been  backed  by  heavier  metal,  would  have 
augured  ill  for  the  privateersmen. 

At  about  seven  o'clock,  the  French  ships  still  keep 
ing  their  course  on  the  wind,  the  Duke  bore  down 
upon  the  line  with  the  wind  upon  her  quarter, 
yawing  and  firing  her  bow  chasers  from  time  to  time, 
until  at  last  the  Hour  dc  Us  was  hoisted ;  and,  running 
alongside  at  scarce  pistol-shot  distance,  the  Duke 
engaged  the  La  Delivrance  and  Louis  Erasme,  pour 
ing  in  her  heavy  twelve-pound  shot,  and  sweeping  off 
with  volleys  of  bullets  from  pateraros  and  muskets 
every  one  who  showed  himself  above  the  bulwarks 
or  on  the  forecastle,  where,  in  most  of  the  French 
vessels,  several  guns  were  mounted  en  barbette,  and 
were  therefore  useless  during  the  fight. 


5o4  Cartagena 


The  Prince  Frederick  at  the  same  time  engaged 
the  Marquis  D'Antin,  and,  trusting  to  her  thicker 
bulwarks  and  heavier  guns,  chose  not  to  lose  men  by 
boarding,  but,  laying  close  alongside,  threw  in  sucli 
heavy  broadsides  that  in  less  than  three  hours,  hav 
ing  lost  her  captain,  received  many  shot  between 
wind  and  water,  and  lost  so  many  of  her  crew  that 
her  scuppers  ran  blood,  the  French  ship  struck, 
amid  the  hoarse  cheers  of  the  crew  of  the  Prince 
Frederick,  and  Stephen  knew  that  for  the  French 
all  hope  of  beating  off  their  foes  was  over. 

Still  he  kept  his  post,  although  the  rain  of  bullets 
showered  upon  the  quarter-deck  of  La  Delivrance 
was  at  times  perfectly  appalling;  for  the  tops  of  the 
Duke  were  crowded  with  sharpshooters,  who  could 
find  no  better  mark  than  the  gigantic  form  and 
noble  h.ead,  with  its  long  yellow  curls,  which  never 
flinched,  though  the  gay  Spanish  hat  was  pierced 
through,  and  the  laced  coat  he  wore  was  cut  in  many 
pieces.  His  assistants  had  been  replaced  twice,  shot 
down  almost  as  soon  as  seen,  and,  as  the  fifth  was 
sent  to  take  their  place,  the  man's  face  paled  to  ashy 
whiteness,  and  Gaspard  drew  his  pistol  to  enforce 
the  order. 

Stephen  greeted  the  steersman  with  a  quiet  smile, 
and  beckoned  to  him  to  assist  him  in  laying  a  little 
nearer  the  Duke,  which  for  the  time  was  nearly  in  a 
position  to  be  raked,  being  chiefly  engaged  with  the 
Louis  Erasme,  which  vessel  the  Prince  Frederick 
was  also  preparing  to  attack. 

Even  as  he  caught  up  the  slack  of  the  purchase, 
red  with  the  blood  of  preceding  victims,  a  volley  is- 


Homeward  Bound  535 

sued  from  the  tops,  and  his  arm  hung  at  his  side 
scored  from  wrist  to  elbow  with  a  ragged  wound. 

"Gracias  a  Dios"  he  muttered  fervently  as  he  leapt 
under  cover  of  the  bulwarks  and  made  his  way  be 
low.  "  'Tis  a  mercy  that  it  was  not  through  the  heart 
that  that  bullet  came,  as  with  poor  Pepe  and  Ri- 
cardo,"  and  Stephen,  even  under  such  surroundings, 
could  not  but  laugh,  as  he  saw  how  a  misfortune, 
bad  enough  in  itself,  had  been  deemed  a  light  calam 
ity  in  the  near  presence  of  death. 

The  fire  of  the  English  seemed  to  increase  in  fury, 
the  roar  of  guns  and  the  sharper  reports  of  swivel 
and  musket  blended  in  an  infernal  symphony,  whose 
lighter  accompaniments  were  the  whistle  of  bullets, 
the  buzz  of  chain  and  crossbar  shot,  the  crash  of 
spars,  the  rattle  of  grape,  and  the  failing  cheers  of 
the  overpowered  French  mariners.  Yet  still  La  De- 
livrance  poured  in  her  light  broadsides,  striving  to 
save  her  consort,  guided  by  the  calm  courage  and 
skill  of  Stephen,  whose  fair  face  was  becoming  ter 
rible  with  gouts  of  blood,  and  grimy  with  the  thick 
smoke  of  the  burnt  priming. 

"Head  her  on  the  larboard  tack,"  suddenly 
shouted  the  French  captain.  "All  hands  make  ready 
to  tack  ship.  Beady.  About,"  and  two  minutes 
later  La  Delivrance  was  clear  of  the  smoke  to  wind 
ward  of  the  Erasme  and  her  antagonists,  to  whom 
her  unfortunate  consort  was  soon  compelled  to 
strike,  after  her  captain,  who  had  also  tried  to  es 
cape  by  flight,  had  been  mortally  wounded,  and  a 
large  part  of  her  crew  placed  hors  de  combat. 

When  once  well  to  windward  of  the  enemy,  Ste- 


536  Cartagena 


phen  was  relieved,  and  none  too  soon;  for  he  was 
found  to  be  wounded  in  several  places,  and,  although 
none  were  dangerous,  the  loss  of  blood  left  him  un 
able  to  appear  upon  deck  again  for  several  days. 

But  the  condition  of  La  Delivrance  was  far  from 
encouraging.  Nine  of  her  people  had  fallen  in  the 
conflict,  and  so  many  shot  had  passed  through  her 
sides,  that  it  was  midnight  ere  she  was  cleared  of 
water  and  placed  in  seaworthy  condition.  More 
over,  although  but  a  few  days'  sail  from  her  destina 
tion,  she  dared  not  risk  another  conflict,  being  poor 
ly  prepared  for  fighting  at  the  best,  and  now  nearly 
out  of  ammunition.  It  was  accordingly  determined 
to  change  their  course  back  across  the  Atlantic  to 
the  fortress  city  of  Louisbourg,  whence,  according  to 
one  of  the  crew  who  had  been  there,  two  or  more 
French  men-of-war,  of  heavy  armament,  would  re 
turn  writh  convoys  to  France. 

The  prizes  just  taken  by  the  English  had  been 
valued  at  nearly  f  3,000,000,  and  the  cargo  of  La  De 
livrance,  though  smaller,  was  worth  little  less  than 
a  moiety  of  that  huge  sum.  All  agreed  that  delays 
and  danger  were  not  to  be  considered,  with  such  in 
terests  at  stake;  so  that  night  the  course  was 
changed  to  the  north  and  west,  and  on  the  12th  of 
August,  at  noon,  they  made  the  Isle  Koyale,  lying 
like  a  dim  cloud  on  the  eastern  horizon. 

At  six  o'clock  the  next  morning  they  sighted  a 
brigantine  bound  for  Louisbourg,  and  La  Deliv 
rance  hoisted  the  French  ensign;  seeing  this  the 
stranger  fired  several  guns,  and  crowded  sail  for  the 
harbor,  while  certain  fishermen  lying  on0  the  coast 


Homeward  Bound  537 

followed  her  example.  The  city  and  forts,  and  the 
harbor  crowded  with  shipping,  were  now  plainly  vis 
ible,  and  the  French  ensigns,  floating  from  every 
staff  and  masthead,  promised  to  the  wreary  voyagers 
an  end  to  their  adventurous  and  perilous  cruise,  and 
rest  from  fear  and  disquietude;  wrhile  two  men-of- 
war,  issuing  from  the  port,  came  out  to  meet  the  new 
arrival,  seeing  which,  the  captain  of  La  Delivrance 
ordered  the  shot  to  be  withdrawn  from  the  guns, 
that  any  salute  given  might  be  courteously  re 
turned. 

The  smallest,  a  ship  of  about  fifty  guns,  came 
close  alongside,  and  as  if  by  magic  the  whole  scene 
was  changed.  The  English  ensign  replaced  the 
French  Hair  dc  Us;  the  portholes  flew  open,  revealing 
a  tremendous  battery,  manned  by  trained  gunners 
with  lighted  matches;  and  a  single  cannon  from  the 
upper  deck  opened  upon  the  helpless  frigate,  bring 
ing  her  fore  yard  down  upon  the  shrouds,  while  a 
richly  dressed  officer  cried  from  the  quarter  deck, 
"Surrender  to  His  Majesty's  ship  Chester!'' 

In  the  presence  of  such  a  force  and  under  such  cir 
cumstances,  it  was  madness  to  resist;  but  the  cap 
tain  and  his  distinguished  passengers  managed  to 
throw  overboard  their  important  dispatches,  and 
Inez  and  Stephen  secured  their  personal  valuables, 
before  the  small  boat  lowered  for  the  purpose 
boarded  the  ill-fated  frigate. 

To  do  them  justice,  all  were  treated  with  great 
courtesy  and  even  lenity  by  their  captors,  and  Ste 
phen  found  many  personal  friends  among  the  New 
Englanders  who,  under  Pepperell  and  Warren,  had 


538  Cartagena 


dared  to  attempt  the  reduction  of  the  Gibraltar  of 
America.  His  story  gained  for  himself  and  his  fair 
companions  a  favorable  reception,  and  after  a  short 
delay  the  party  found  passage  by  a  returning  trans 
port  to  Boston,  where  they  arrived  safely  about  the 
first  of  September,  in  the  year  1745. 

Here,  after  due  inquiry  at  the  Swan  Tavern,  he 
found  that  John  Hewson  was  still  living,  though  he 
had  tired  of  the  sandy  cape  and  was  domiciled  at  or 
near  Cohasset,  where  the  cliffs,  with  velvet  turf  and 
varied  foliage,  overhang  the  long  reach  of  huge 
ledges  stretching  far  to  seaward.  An  express  sent 
to  him  brought  back  a  messenger,  who  said  that  the 
old  man  being  unable  to  come  himself,  had  sent  him 
for  the  young  lady  and  her  companion ;  but  Stephen 
made  over  to  Inez  the  precious  belt  worn  through  so 
many  strange  vicissitudes  and,  after  satisfying  him 
self  that  he  left  his  proteges  in  good  hands,  took  pas 
sage  by  a  wood  sloop  for  Plymouth. 

They  parted  late  at  night,  for  the  tide  was  run 
ning  in  and  the  breeze  light,  and  for  nearly  an  hour 
they  sat  side  by  side  at  the  end  of  the  long  pier,  talk 
ing  of  the  past  and  wishing,  yet  dreading  to  speak  of 
the  future  just  before  them.  At  last  the  skipper  was 
seen  approaching,  and  Inez  rose  to  return  to  the 
inn. 

"I  go  back  to  the  upper  springs,"  said  Stephen 
sadly.  "What  if  I  should  find  myself  forgotten,  like 
Ocana,  at  the  sources  of  the  Magdalena?" 

The  brave,  true  daughter  of  Olivarez,  took  his  fev 
ered  hand  in  hers,  and  her  splendid  eyes,  bright  and 
strong  despite  the  tears  that  gathered  under  their 


Homeward  Bound  539 

long  lashes,  met  his  in  one  long,  loving  glance,  which 
needed  not  the  words  she  spoke  to  tell  their  mean 
ing.  "Thou  hast  been  true  to  thy  nation,  thy  faith 
and  thy  friends;  more  than  true  to  mine  and  me.  Be 
true  to  thyself  even  to  the  end,  and  living  or  dying, 
together  or  apart,  no  one  shall  be  dearer  than  thou 
art  to  me.  Farewell,  my  brother,  we  shall  meet — 
in  heaven's  good  time." 

She  was  gone;  the  rough  but  kindly  raillery  of  the 
skipper  recalled  him  to  the  needs  of  his  homeward 
journey;  and  the  next  day  at  noon  he  set  out  from 
Plymouth  with  a  stout  horse,  capable  of  making  un 
der  saddle  some  two  leagues  an  hour,  with  the  easy 
amble  taught  in  those  days  to  the  steeds  of  the  Nar- 
ragansett  plantations. 

That  night  he  rode  into  Sandwich  town  and  put 
up  at  the  tavern,  wrhere  he  was  welcomed  as  one 
from  the  dead  by  the  old  hostler;  for  Timothy  Rug- 
gles  and  his  wife  wrere  absent,  and,  it  was  rumored, 
about  to  give  up  the  business  of  entertaining  the 
public. 

Here  for  the  first  time  Stephen  learned  of  the  con 
dition  of  affairs  at  the  homestead — a  story  over 
which  the  old  serving-man  sat  late  at  night,  detail 
ing  how  Stephen  having  been  reported  dead,  his 
friends  had  mourned  him  for  a  season;  how  the 
church  had  been  crowded  with  weeping  listeners  to 
the  quaint  memorial  sermon;  how  his  will  had  been 
proved,  his  estate  divided ;  how  his  brother  had  mar 
ried  his  betrothed  within  the  year  just  past. 

And  wrhen  Stephen  had  been  shown  to  his  room, 
the  old  man  wondered  that  his  unexpected  guest 


540  Cartagena 


had  shown  little  of  disquietude  and  less  of  anger; 
and  more  than  once  took  from  his  pocket  the  Span 
ish  dollar  he  had  given  him  at  parting,  to  assure 
himself  that  he  had  indeed  given  shelter  to  a  man 
of  flesh  and  blood. 

But  although  he  arose  early  to  his  routine  of  daily 
duty,  his  strange  visitor  was  gone,  and  only  the  un 
touched  bed  and  the  reckoning  duly  laid  on  the  an 
tique  table  told  of  the  coming  and  departure  of  the 
long-lost  Stephen  Hay. 

It  was  still  dark  when  Stephen,  unable  to  sleep 
and  wearied  with  contending  emotions,  left  his 
chamber,  and  leaving  his  reckoning  behind  him,  is 
sued  from  the  inn  and  took  the  old  familiar  road  to 
Ploughed  Neck.  The  air  was  cool  but  not  chill,  the 
weather  clear  and  calm,  the  darkness  not  of  in 
creasing  night,  but  of  the  dawning  day,  and  though 
the  stars  still  glimmered  overhead  the  eastern  sea 
board  was  of  the  soft,  warm,  pearly  gray,  which  tells 
of  coming  daylight. 

He  passed  the  square,  unpainted  church,  where 
his  funeral  sermon  had  been  preached  months  ago, 
and  thought  of  similar  scenes  witnessed  by  himself 
in  years  long  past,  when  the  pastor  and  people  had 
met  to  honor  the  memories  of  unburied  friends  and 
neighbors  lost  at  sea,  or  slain  in  the  wilderness  by 
the  Indian  enemy;  and  a  strange  sense  of  loneliness 
came  upon  him  as  he  thought  that  he  walked  alone 
in  the  darkness,  as  one  of  the  dead,  his  mourning 
over,  his  bethrothed  joyful  in  a  brother's  love,  his 
estate  divided;  his  possessions  scattered,  his  memo 
rial  service  said,  his  monument  erected  amid  the 


Homeward  Bound  541 

graves  of  his  fathers.  No,  not  this  last,  he  remem 
bered  with  a  thrill  of  anger,  for  the  garrulous  hostler 
had  told  him  how  his  brother  had  scorned  to  place  a 
simple  slab  of  slate  amid  the  family  monuments,  but 
had  ever  spoken  of  a  more  stately  offering  to  the 
memory  of  a  brother,  who  had  left  him  an  estate 
deemed  in  those  simple  days  a  small  fortune.  "  'Tis 
like  enough  he  purposeth  to  have  it  out  from  home 
by  the  fall  ships,"  had  said  his  half-wTondering,  half- 
fearful  attendant,  "but,  now  your  honor  hath  come 
back,  there  will  be  no  need  therefor." 

As  he  proceeded  he  issued  from  the  village  into 
the  narrow  country  road,  of  which  only  the  central 
track,  worn  hard  by  the  wheels  of  the  daily  stage 
coach  and  its  four  strong  horses,  was  left  bare  of 
herbage,  excepting  the  narrow  footpath  of  smooth, 
hard  trodden  sand  along  which  Stephen  walked 
slowly,  busy  with  strange  and  varied  imaginings. 

Past  rural  burying  places,  which  seemed  to  him 
strangely  peaceful  and  alluring,  as  if  more  fitting 
his  reception  than  the  dwellings  of  the  living,  wrho 
had  ceased  to  mourn  him;  past  swamps  where  robin, 
cat-bird  and  grakle  were  beginning  to  utter  their 
first,  low  love  notes  from  their  nests  amid  the  thick 
ets  ;  along  the  border  of  the  inland  forest,  where  al 
ready  the  bell-like  bark  of  a  slo.whound  on  the  track 
of  fox  or  deer,  told  that  others  beside  himself  were 
astir  in  the  dawning;  across  the  rippling  trout 
streams,  beside  moss-gown  walls  of  loose  piled  stone, 
overhung  with  ripening  apples;  and  through  fields  of 
maize,  threaded  by  a  narrow,  long  trodden  footpath, 
Stephen  Hay  came  before  sunrise  to  the  dew-laden 
lawn  before  the  home  of  his  birth. 


542  Cartagena 


No  sign  of  change  was  visible  in  the  uncertain 
light,  and  it  seemed  to  Stephen  as  if  it  might  have 
been  only  the  night  before,  that  he  bade  farewell  to 
his  betrothed,  under  the  apple  trees  beyond  the 
mossy  well-curb.  No  one  had  yet  arisen,  and  in  fe 
verish  restlessness  the  wanderer  walked  from  one 
well-remembered  spot  to  another,  seeming  to  see  in 
each  familiar  object  a  fresh  welcome  to  the  dear 
old  homestead,  and  yet  he  could  not  but  fancy  that 
even  to  his  disembodied  spirit  such  a  greeting  might 
have  been  vouchsafed  as  fittingly. 

The  dawn  was  coming  fast,  and  wThite  mists  began 
to  obscure  the  surrounding  landscape,  when,  with  a 
low  growl,  a  large  dog  issued  from  his  lair  in  the  cen 
tre  of  the  huge  woodpile,  and  surlily  approached 
him. 

"Buff!  Come  Buff!  Good  fellow!— good  fellow! 
Come,  Buff! — come!"  cried  Stephen,  with  a  sad 
yearning  for  sympathy;  and  the  dog,  old,  lame  and 
nearly  blind,  uttered  a  low  whine,  and  shambling  to 
his  master's  side  essayed  to  leap  upon  him,  as  in  the 
years  long  past,  and  covered  the  trembling  hand  out 
stretched  to  welcome  him  with  kisses. 

Stephen  sank  down  on  the  flagged  walk  beneath 
the  window,  and  caught  the  great  shaggy  animal  in 
his  arms,  pressing  the  huge  head  against  his  breast; 
for  this  was  the  first  heart-greeting,  the  first  tribute 
of  living  affection  which  had  as  yet  welcomed  him 
back  among  the  living. 

Then  he  arose,  as  if  ashamed  of  the  passing  weak 
ness: 

"I  will  take  a  stroll  around  the  place  until  the 


Homeward  Bound  543 

horn  blows  for  breakfast.  They  will  all  be  up  then, 
and  I  may  feel  calmer  and  stronger  than  now.  No, 
Buff,  old  fellow!  You  must  go  back  to  bed.  No,  sir! 
Go  back,  sir !"  and  the  chidden  dog,  with  a  mournful, 
appealing  whine,  turned  to  go  to  his  kennel. 

"It's  too  bad,"  thought  Stephen,  as  he  went 
toward  the  barn.  "He  does  n't  want  to  leave  me, 
and  he  shall  go  if  he  wants  to.  Come,  Buff! — come!" 
he  cried,  raising  his  voice;  and  the  old  retriever,  with 
a  lumbering  rush,  dashed  across  the  yard,  and  ac 
companied  him  on  his  errand  of  inspection. 

As  they  passed  the  barnyard,  Stephen  saw  the 
staid2  matronly  cows,  which  were  graceful  and  mis 
chievous  calves  at  their  first  pasturage  five  years 
ago,  and  on  the  horns  of  one,  tiny  bits  of  blue  ribbon 
made  his  heart  give  a  leap  of  joy;  for  he  knew  that 
that  must  be  "Tempie's  cow,"  grown  up  from  the 
weakly  yearling  he  had  given  her  for  her  own. 

"Temple,  at  least,  and  mother  and  father  will  be 
glad  that  I  am  not  dead,  and  Untequit--for  yonder 
garrulous  old  man  said  he  still  lived  with  the  old 
folks — will  give  me  a  hearty  welcome.  Come,  Buff! 
I  would  I  had  a  gun  with  me,  for  there  should  be  fine 
sport  on  the  marshes  now.  Let  us  go  down  by  the 
Brush  and  the  cartway  to  the  beach,  and  see  the  sun 
rise  from  the  ocean." 

With  a  brisk  and  lighter  step  Hay  went  swiftly 
across  the  meadows  to  an  orchard,  scarcely  divided 
from  a  thick  copse  of  oaks,  hickories  and  smaller 
growth,  through  which  a  footpath  led  to  a  narrow 
creek,  where,  moored  to  either  bank  by  long  paint 
ers,  a  whaleboat  offered  easy  ferriage  to  the  sand 
hills  beyond. 


544  Cartagena 


Ten  minutes  later  Stephen  stood  on  the  sloping 
beach,  and  saw  in  the  east  the  crimson  glory  reach 
ing  across  the  horizon,  as  the  first  glimpse  of  the 
lurid  sun  rose  above  the  low  line  of  sand  dunes 
trending  northeast.  He  seated  himself  on  a  sea- 
whitened  spar  half  buried  in  the  drifting  sands,  the 
old  dog  crouched  whining  at  his  feet,  and  the  east 
wind  came  sweet  and  clear  to  his  hot  eyes  and  fe 
vered  cheeks,  as  he  gave  himself  once  more  to  a  re 
view  of  the  new  trials  to  be  met  and  conquered. 

"Why  should  I  care  for  my  lost  land?"  he  said  to 
himself,  "or  for  the  few  valuables -my  poor  sisters 
have  taken  to  their  homes,  as  my  last  bequest?  My 
earnings  and  researches  in  the  mountains  brought 
me  far  more  than  thrice  their  value.  As  for  Marga 
ret,  she  has  but  done  wisely  and  well  in  marrying  my 
brother.  Had  I  been  wise,  I  had  long  since  taken 
Inez  to  my  arms,  and  found  love,  content  and  eternal 
springtime  amid  the  vineyards  of  Popayan.  Come, 
old  doggy,  the  sun  is  up ;  let  us  go  back  to  the  house 
and  greet  all  kindly  and  cheerily." 

Meanwhile  at  the  homestead,  the  family  had 
arisen,  the  kine  had  been  milked  and  sent  to  their 
pasturage,  and  the  tools  made  ready  for  the  day's 
labor  on  the  distant  marshes.  All  were  gathered 
at  the  morning  meal,  the  deacon,  scarcely  older  or 
graver  than  five  years  before;  Joshua,  already  old 
with  overthought,  labor  and  care;  Lish,  still  light- 
hearted,  beside  Margaret,  pale  yet  beautiful,  with 
her  babe  close  at  hand  in  the  old  cradle;  and  Black 
Bill,  maimed  in  one  wrist,  but  able,  nevertheless,  to 
do  "more  than  a  man's  work,"  as  all  the  neighbor- 


Homeward  Bound  545 

hood  allowed.  Only  two  were  wanted  to  complete 
the  family  circle,  Mrs.  Hay  and  little  Tempie. 

The  latter,  alas,  had  long  been  an  invalid,  and 
there  were  few  who  knewr  her  who  did  not  sadly 
shake  their  heads  when  they  marked  her  clear,  pal 
lid  complexion,  over-bright  eyes  and  sad,  abstracted 
manner ;  for  the  scourge  of  old  New  England  villages 
had  claimed  too  many  victims  in  S —  -  to  leave  any 
ignorant  of  the  symptoms  of  his  fatal  presence. 

Many  wondered,  indeed,  that  she  had  so  long 
resisted  the  distressing  cough  and  weakening  night 
sweats,  which  had  reduced  her  slight  body  to  a  mere 
skeleton;  and  her  stern  but  affectionate  father  and 
gentle  mother  awaited  in  trembling  faith  that  new 
trial  in  which  they  must  only  say  "Thy  will  be  done." 

This  morning,  however,  she  had  insisted  on  being 
dressed  and  taking  a  seat  at  the  table,  for  a  strange 
dream  or  experience  had  given  her  a  semblance  of 
added  strength,  and  she  had  pleaded  so  for  permis 
sion  that  the  sick  chair  had  been  drawn  up,  and  Tern- 
pie,  "Little  Tempie"  alas  no  longer,  came  leaning 
on  her  mother's  arm,  and  sat  listening  to  the  prayer 
uttered,  while  others  stood  with  bowed  heads 
around  the  table.  But  when  all  were  seated,  Deacon 
Hay  noticed  a  strange  eager,  nervous  look  of  expec 
tation  in  his  daughter's  face,  and  traces  of  tears  in 
his  wife's  eyes. 

"What  is  the  matter,  Tempie?"  he  asked  kindly. 
"I  heard  no  complaint  from  you  last  night.  Did  you 
not  sleep  well  ?' 

"Yes,  father,"  she  replied  tremblingly,  "I  slept 
very  well  until  morning,  but  then —  Oh,  mother,  tell 
him,  for  I  can't,  I  can't." 


546  Cartagena 


"Temple  is  somewhat  frightened,  Elisha,  for  this 
morning  early  she  thought,  or  dreamed,  or  fancied, 
that  she  heard — " 

"I  did  not  dream  or  fancy,  mother,"  said  the  child 
with  a  strange  persistency.  "I  did  hear  Stephen's 
voice.  He  called  Buff  to  him,  and  his  voice  was 
choked  and  sad." 

Margaret  started  up  with  a  faint  cry ;  Lish  dropped 
his  fork  and  knife  and  stared  in  utter  bewilderment 
at  the  speaker,  and  Joshua,  with  a  quiet,  incredu 
lous  smile,  calmly  proceeded  with  his  breakfast,  hav 
ing  promptly  settled  in  his  mind  the  status  of  a  tale 
founded  on  the  fancy  of  a  sick  girl ;  Black  Bill  went 
outside  quietly,  while  Deacon  Hay  turned  to  the 
girl  and  questioned  her  not  unkindly  as  follows: 

"I  can,  of  course,  have  no  doubt  that  you  were  mis 
taken,  Tempie,  but  tell  me  all  about  it.  At  what 
time  did  you  hear  wrhat  you  describe?" 

"It  was  just  before  daylight,  and  not  half  an  hour 
before  you  arose,  that  I  awoke  from  a  deep  sleep, 
and  heard,  as  I  thought,  two  persons  talking  in  low 
tones  under  my  window.  The  words  were  sad  but 
indistinct,  and  I  did  not  think  just  then,  how  unlike 
ly  it  was  that  people  would  be  out  there  at  that  time 
of  the  morning.  But  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
later  I  heard  Stephen  call  Buff — call  him  just  as 
plainly  as  ever  I  heard  him  before  he  left  us  for 
the  war.  Then  I  lay  and  listened,  for  I  hoped 
although  I  almost  feared  to  hear  my  brother's  voice 
again;  and  at  last  I  had  to  call  mother  and  tell  her." 

As  she  finished  speaking,  Black  Bill  returned  from 
outside  with  a  grave  look  in  his  eyes. 


Homeward  Bound  547 

"What  said  the  voice,  Miss  Tempie?" 

"Nothing  but  'Come,  Buff! — come!'  just  as  I've 
heard  him  hundreds  of  times  before  he  went  away; 
only  his  voice  was  very  mournful,  just  as  when  he 
talked  with  me  in  the  orchard  about  going  to  fight 
the  Spaniards." 

"  'Twas  only  fancy,  my  child.  We  can  never  hear 
his  voice  again  except  in  a  better  country,  where 
sin  and  death  will  no  longer  separate  us  from  those 
we  love.  Come,  Bill  and  Lish,  we  must  hurry  through 
with  breakfast,  for  we  must  mow  the  island  meadow 
before  the  tide  rises." 

Black  Bill  whispered  a  word  or  two  in  his  ear,  and, 
writh  an  expression  which  those  who  witnessed  it 
never  forgot,  Deacon  Hay  arose  and  went  outside, 
where  the  other  members  of  the  family  could  not 
overhear  their  words. 

"What  mean  you,  William?"  began  Deacon  Hay, 
agitated  beyond  his  wont.  "Think  you  that  it  is  pos 
sible  that  the  dead  should  come  back  to  the  living? 
You,  yourself,  say  you  saw  him  dead  in  the  castle 
ditch  at  San  Lazaro,  covered  with  brains  and  blood. 
How,  then,  can  you  encourage  the  fancies  of  a  poor 
sick  child,  who  has  always  held  in  her  heart  to  see 
ing  her  brother  once  more?" 

"I  don't  know,  master,  whether  the  dead  come 
back  or  not,  though  my  people  have  ever  believed 
that,  to  some,  all  men,  living  or  dead,  were  visible; 
but  this  thing  I  do  know— that  the  dog  is  gone." 

"Old  Buff  gone?  Impossible!  He's  asleep  or  sick 
inside  the  wood-pile  yonder,  but  he  never  leaves 
the  place  except  with  some  of  us." 


548  Cartagena 


"I've  taken  down  a  part  of  the  wood-pile,  and 
know  he's  not  there.  Stay!  don't  move  for  a  mo 
ment;"  and,  stooping  down  where  he  stood,  he  bent 
over  a  footmark  in  a  little  patch  of  sand  disclosed 
by  the  removal  of  a  few  square  feet  of  the  thin  sod. 

"That  footprint  was  made  this  morning,  and  by  a 
Spanish  boot,  and  here  is  Buff's  foot  right  beside  it. 
There  was  some  one  here  this  morning;  and  were  it 
not  that  I  know  that  he  is  dead,  I  could  swear  that 
yonder  footprint  could  have  been  made  by  no  other 
than  your  son." 

"If  here,  why  has  he  kept  apart  from  us?"  asked 
the  agitated  and  half-convinced  father.  "Why 
should  he  pass  by  his  father's  house,  and  hide  him 
self  from  those  who  love  him  ?  .  There  is  no  one  that 
I  can  see  anywhere  in  the  fields.  Stay  r  I  have  it. 
You  can  call  the  dog  away  from  us  all.  Call  him  to 
you  now." 

Untequit,  with  a  grave  smile,  nodded  his  head, 
and  putting  his  hands  to  his  lips  gave  three  shrill 
whistles,  which  were  echoed  from  the  walls  of  the 
foliage  of  the  great  swamp  half  a  mile  away.  The 
dog  issued  almost  instantly  from  the  orchard,  and 
man  and  master  hastening  thither,  saw  a  powerful, 
sunbronzed  and  bearded  man  hastily  crossing  the 
meadow  below,  towards  the  house,  and  a  moment 
later  Stephen  was  clasped  in  their  arms. 

With  his  stern  face  wet  with  grateful  tears,  and 
softened  into  unwonted  kindness  by  this  "crowning 
mercy,"  Deacon  Hay  hastened  a  few  minutes  later 
to  the  house,  where  the  others,  for  the  most  part 
too  perturbed  to  eat,  were  sitting  in  uneasy  silence. 


Homeward  Bound  549 

Temple  alone  seemed  somewhat  calmer,  but  as  her 
father  entered  she  arose  from  her  seat,  and  unaided 
walked  to  meet  him  with  outstretched  arms,  crying 
"He  is  come!  My  dear  brother  is  come!  O,  where 
is  he,  father?  Let  me  see  him  before  I  die." 

There  entered  a  tall,  stately  gentleman,  rich  of 
garb  and  elegant  in  manner,  with  little  left  to  tell 
of  the  soi  disant  volunteer  who  had  been  mourned  as 
dead,  yet  none  the  less  the  same  noble,  simple 
hearted  and  generous  brother  and  son  who  had  left 
them  five  years  before.  AVith  an  ease  but  too  pain 
fully  noticeable  to  all  he  caught  Temple  in  his  arms 
and  raised  her  to  his  breast,  covering  her  face  with 
kisses,  and  the  child  bowing  her  frail  head,  by  turns 
bent  to  return  his  caresses,  and  then  in  sisterly  pride 
and  wonder,  drewT  back  to  gaze  at  the  rich  garb  and 
splendid  beauty  of  her  recovered  brother. 

"I  knew  you  wrould  come,  brother,"  she  sighed  at 
last.  "I  knew  you  would  come,  but  I  could  not  have 
waited  much  longer.  I  thought  you  would  come 
wrhen  the  leaves  budded,  and  now  they  will  soon  be 
gone." 

Mrs.  Hay,  thoughtful  even  in  her  joy,  motioned  to 
Stephen  to  place  his  frail  burden  in  her  easy  chair, 
and  through  her  tears  greeted  the  wanderer  with  a 
warmth,  that  speedily  dispelled  all  Stephen's  misgiv 
ings  as  to  his  welcome  home.  Joshua,  indeed,  made 
no  striking  demonstration,  but  his  "Welcome  home, 
brother !"  and  warm,  hearty  grasp  spoke  volumes  in 
themselves. 

But  the  young  couple  stood  aloof  for  a  few  mo 
ments  as  if  afraid  to  join  in  the  greeting,  and  poor 


550  Cartagena 


Lish's  face  was  unutterably  sad  and  disquieted, 
while  Margaret  glanced  from  her  husband  to  her 
babe  in  alternate  apprehension  and  vexation. 

Stephen  saw,  and  strode  across  the  room  to 
where,  by  their  side,  the  little  child  slept  uncon 
scious  of  human  passion  in  its  rude  cradle,  and 
stooping,  kissed  its  rosy  lips.  "God  bless  you,  little 
one,"  he  said,  raising  his  chapeau  as  he  spoke ;  and, 
rising,  he  extended  his  hand  to  Lish,  who,  grasping 
it  in  both  his  own,  burst  into  a  passion  of  tears. 

"All  has  been  ordered  well  and  wisely,"  said 
Stephen  kindly;  "strangely,  it  may  be,  but  not 
through  fault  of  yours.  I  blame  you  not,  Margaret ; 
indeed,  I  could  not,  for  why  should  you  have  loved 
the  living  less  than  the  dead?" 

"Let  us  thank  God  for  this,"  said  the  elder  Hay 
solemnly.  "Our  son,  who  was  dead,  is  alive  again. 
He  was  lost,  and  is  found."  And  kneeling,  the  re 
united  household  gave  thanks  to  God  in  prayer. 


Chapter  XXXVIII. 
Under  the  Locusts 

For  several  weeks  the  life  led  by  Stephen  Hay 
seemed,  despite  his  past  adventures  and  the  gen 
erally  confused  state  of  his  temporal  affairs,  one  of 
almost  perfect  joy  and  rest,  with  little  to  alloy  the 
tranquil  repose  and  the  quiet  renewal  of  old  friend 
ships  and  associations. 

Lish  had  spoken  often  of  returning  to  him  his 
divided  estate,  but  Stephen  had  kindly  but  firmly 
refused  to  resume  possession.  "I  have  done  with 
life  here,  and  henceforth  our  lives  must  lie  apart, 
so  far  as  our  avocations  are  concerned.  Mother  and 
the  girls  are  welcome  to  their  portion  as  well,  and  I 
have  more  than  enough  to  console  me  for  the  little 
my  will  distributed." 

.  A  visit  to  the  capital  enabled  him  to  learn  the  fate 
of  his  comrades  of  the  Colonial  brigade,  few  of 
whom  had  been  more  fortunate  than  himself,  even 
of  those  who  survived  to  return  to  their  kindred. 

From  the  ending  of  the  siege  of  Cartagena  their 
superior  skill  and  general  knowledge  had  marked 
them  for  extra  duty,  and  even  on  the  return  voyage 
to  Jamaica  Lord  Vernon  had  hardly  saved  some  of 
his  ships,  had  he  not  pressed  the  formerly  despised 
Americans  into  use  as  sailors,  carpenters  and  rig 
gers. 

Arrived  at  Jamaica  the  troops  were  again  landed, 
and  again  were  exposed  to  the  ravages  of  tropical 


552  Cartagena 


disease,  which  carried  off  many  of  the  northern 
troops,  yet  nevertheless  a  large  part  of  the  brigade, 
reinforced  by  English  marines  and  another  body  of 
Jamaican  negroes,  were  sent  to  lay  siege  to  San 
tiago  de  Cuba,  landing  and  encamping  at  Guantan- 
amo  harbor. 

As  it  was  late  in  the  fall,  for  a  time  all  went  well ; 
and  roseate  stories  of  the  beauty,  healthfulness  and 
resources  of  the  country,  helped  the  enlistments  re 
sorted  to  to  fill  up  the  depleted  companies,  and  added 
to  the  number  of  prospective  conquerors  and  set 
tlers  of  the  island  of  Cuba,  for  it  was  seriously  pro 
posed  both  to  conquer  and  occupy  the  country. 

But  delay,  jealousy  and  the  miserably  conducted 
commissariat  and  medical  service  of  that  era,  re 
peated  in  Cuba  the  sad  experiences  of  the  Cartagena 
fiasco,  and  in  the  winter  of  1743-44  a  few  individuals 
returned  at  intervals  to  the  colonies,  to  tell  of  the 
almost  utter  destruction  of  the  American  brigade. 

Not  less  than  five  thousand  men  had  enlisted,  and 
had  been  forwarded  to  Jamaica,  during  the  war  by 
the  American  colonies,  and  less  than  five  hundred 
ever  returned  to  tell  of  their  disappointed  hopes  and 
terrible  sufferings. 

Of  the  failure  of  the  several  expeditions  under 
the  direction  of  Lord  Yernon,  history  has  heretofore 
been  remarkably  silent;  and  for  some  reason,  with 
the  exception  of  the  attempt  on  Cartagena,  the  op 
erations  of  the  English  fleet  and  army  in  the  West 
Indies  from  1740-44,  inclusive,  seem  to  have  been 
kept  from  the  English  public  with  astonishing  suc 
cess. 


Under  the  Locusts  553 


Despite  the  disgraceful  failures  and  loss  of  men 
and  material,  experienced,  as  it  seems  to  us,  largely 
through  his  own  selfishness,  obstinacy  or  avarice, 
Lord  Vernon  escaped  with  little  loss  of  influence  or 
prestige;  and  it  was  many  years  after,  that  his  own 
insolence  and  pride  brought  about  his  retirement 
from  the  navy. 

After  much  inquiry  and  no  little  search,  Stephen 
found  the  survivors  of  his  boat's  crew;  for  Wood- 
side  had  died  of  fever  at  Guantanamo,  and  only 
Jones  and  Gibbs  had  lived  to  return  with  the  rem 
nant  of  Stewart's  company. 

Jones  had  escaped  disease  and  battle,  and  re 
turned  to  Cape  Ann  and  the  more  congenial  avoca 
tion  of  the  shore  fishery.  Gibbs,  less  fortunate,  was 
an  inmate  of  the  poorhouse  of  his  native  town, 
though  helped  by  yearly  grants  of  pension  money 
from  the  Massachusetts  legislature. 

Finding  his  old  comrade  no  mean  mechanic,  Hay 
assisted  him  to  tools  and  stock  enough  to  insure  him 
a  fair  start  in  business,  and  his  after  life,  if  humble, 
was  at  least  independent,  honest  and  happy;  for  he 
became  a  general  favorite  with  young  and  old,  to 
whom  in  his  later  days  he  narrated  interminable 
stories  of  his  adventures  "down  on  the  Spanish 
Main." 

After  his  case  had  been  duly  investigated  and  his 
discharge  made  out  in  due  form,  Stephen  returned 
home  and  gave  himself  up  to  the  society  of  Tempie, 
whose  health  seemed  to  improve  in  the  great  joy  of 
the  unexpected  return  of  her  lost  favorite.  The  af 
fection  between  them  had  always  been  noted  as  un- 


554  Cartagena 


usually  strong,  but  now  in  her  weakness  Temple 
could  scarcely  have  found  greater  or  more  constant 
tenderness  in  the  most  devoted  lover. 

He  carried  her  in  his  strong  arms  whenever  her 
strength  seemed  unequal  to  the  task ;  he  bought  her 
delicacies  almost  unknown  before  to  the  simple 
tastes  of  the  Cape  people ;  his  skill  tempted  her  ap 
petite  with  spotted  brook  trout,  tender  quail  and 
plump  partridge,  and  the  venison  of  the  inland  for 
est  was  scarcely  ever  wanting  in  the  family  larder, 
while,  at  his  suggestion,  remedies  which  had  come  to 
his  knowledge  during  his  wanderings  were  adopted, 
with  the  best  results. 

At  last,  about  the  middle  of  September,  they  sat 
together  in  the  orchard,  she  in  her  easy  chair  and 
he  reclining  at  her  feet,  while  just  outside  the  line 
of  shadow  before  them  the  ground  was  strewn  with 
the  sweet  fruit  of  the  early 'summer  pears,  great 
golden  spice  apples  and  high-bough  sweetings. 
Tempie  had  a  pile  of  letters  in  her  lap,  daintily 
folded  and  written  in  a  minute  Italian  hand.  Some 
of  these  Stephen  had  evidently  been  reading  to  her, 
others  she  was  perusing  for  herself. 

"She  is  a  noble  lady,"  she  said  at  last,  "and  worthy 
of  you,  my  own  dear  brother ;  but  you  can't  tell  how 
I  dread  to  have  you  ever  leave  me  again.  I've  never 
cared  so  much  for  anyone  as  I  have  for  you,  for, 
while  the  others  are  all  kind,  they  seem  in  some  way 
so  different,  so  cold,  so  anxious  to  be  neither  angry 
or  loving,  ignorant  or  learned,  elegant  or  awkward. 
Sometimes  life  has  seemed  so  dull,  monotonous  and 
wearisome,  that  I  really  think  it  worried  me  into 


Under  the  Locusts  555 

the  fever  which  has  left  me  so  weak  and  nigh  to 
death;  and  now  if  you  go  away  again,  I  shall  have 
no  one  to  talk  to,  or  encourage  me,  and  I  shall  pine 
away  and  die,  I  know,  for  they  have  never  cheered 
or  encouraged  me  as  you  do."  . 

Stephen  drew  a  packet  from  his  breast  and  handed 
it  to  her,  as  he  fondly  rested  his  head  on  the  arm  of 
her  chair: 

"Here  is  my  last  letter,  with  her  picture  on  ivory. 
I  met  her  in  Boston  while  the  artist  was  painting  it, 
and  we  had  twro  pleasant  evenings  together.  Is  she 
not  beautiful,  my  dear  little  sister?" 

Tempie  gazed  at  the  noble  features,  rich  garb  and 
tropical  beauty  of  Inez,  and  turned  with  a  half-sigh 
to  her  brother : 

"She  is  beautiful ;  so  lovely  that  I  am  afraid  she 
will  take  all  your  love,  and  leave  none  for  your  poor 
little  Tempie.  I  was  never  afraid  of  Margaret,  but 
— do  you  know? — this  one  is — is  different." 

Stephen  pressed  her  thin  hand  to  his  lips: 

"Fear  not,  little  one;  though  my  Inez  is  fit  to  be 
a  queen,  she  will  never  wish  for  so  selfish  a  love  as 
thou  fearest.  Read  this  last  letter;  it  is  almost  as 
much  yours  as  mine." 

Tempie  resigned  the  locket  to  her  brother  and 
turned  to  the  dainty  missive.  Let  us  once  more 
take  the  liberty  of  reading  a  love-letter  of  the  olden 

AUGUST  25,  1745. 
DEAREST  STEFANO: — 

It  seems  unfitting  that  I  should  be  compelled  to 
confer  with  you  on  such  matters,  but  my  uncle  is 


550  Cartagena 


sorely  afflicted,  and  at  times  can  scarcely  feed  him 
self  for  pain ;  yet  I  fear  not  for  his  life,  and  think  he 
has  been  much  better  of  late. 

But  he  is  anxious  to  set  out  for  England,  there 
to  claim,  under  his  true  name  of  John  Hewson  Oli 
ver,  a  large  estate,  by  the  death  of  my  dear  father 
now  left  solely  to  him.  Your  request — I  need  not  say 
for  what — he  hath  left  to  my  discretion;  but  I  fear 
I  should  lead  but  an  unhappy  life  with  him  did  I 
refuse  it,  as  he  swears  with  many  strange  oaths  that 
you  shall  be  his  heir  in  any  event. 

I,  however,  have  too  often  proved  your  worth  and 
generosity  to  wish  to  thwart  his  wishes,  and  shall 
expect  you  soon  at  our  poor  cottage,  to  consult  with 
my  uncle  about  our  voyage  to  England. 

I  would  have  you  ask  the  "Temple"  of  whom  you 
have  written  so  much,  to  go  with  us  to  England, 
where  a  change  of  climate  and  surroundings  may  do 
much  to  restore  her  to  health;  and  I  need  not  say 
that  she  seems  already  to  me  as  a  near  and  dear  sis 
ter,  although,  were  she  even  a  cousin,  such  love  as 
hers  would  not  fail  to  arouse  something  like  jeal 
ousy  in  the  heart  of  your  own  and  affianced, 

INEZ  OLIVER. 

As  she  finished  reading,  Temple  turned  to  her 
brother;  her  large  eyes  were  full  of  tears;  happy 
tears  though,  for  smiles  broke  through  their  seem 
ing  sorrow.  "I  shall  never  be  jealous  of  her  again, 
and  am  almost  as  anxious  to  see  her,  as  you  dear 
brother.  But  shall  I  really  visit  England;  shall  I 
cross  the  great  ocean  and  see  so  many  wonders,  the 


Under  the  Locusts  557 

great  cities,  and  many  people,  and,  perhaps,  the 
king  in  his  palace?" 

"Yes,  dear,  God  willing.  Father  has  promised, 
and  I  go  next  week  to  arrange  for  our  wedding, 
and  passage  across  the  ocean.  I  shall  bring  back  a 
dress  for  you  to  wear  at  my  marriage,  and  mother 
has  already  arranged  for  your  outfit." 

"It  is  too  sweet,  too  beautiful,  to  be  true,"  said  the 
child,  and  the  smile  faded  from  her  cheek  as  she 
spoke.  "O,  Stephen !  it  has  been  so  hard  for  me  be 
fore  you  came,  for  from  the  first  they  have  let  me 
see  that  I  was  doomed  to  die.  The  minister  came  to 
talk  and  to  pray  with  me,  and  though  he  is  a  good 
man,  it  was  cruel  in  him  to  crush  out  hope  of  life  in 
one  so  young  as  I.  Months  have  gone  by  since  then, 
and  it  seems  to  rue  that  had  I  not  been  sad  in  mind, 
and  discouraged  by  everyone  to  hope  for  life,  I 
should  have  been  better  now.  And'  now  it  almost 
seems  to  me  that  I  hear  the  minister  saying,  as  he 
said  before,  'that  I  must  look  for  healing  only  to  the 
tree  that  stands  by  the  river  of  life." 

"Tempie,  dear,"  said  Stephen,  gravely,  "all  hu 
man  happiness  hath  an  end,  even  as  human  life  is 
at  best  brief  and  uncertain,  but  I  tell  no  one  to 
prepare  for  death,  save  those  just  departing  this 
mortal  life.  Better  is  it,  it  seems  to  me,  to  prepare 
for  life,  a  life  noble,  unselfish,  and  loving,  which 
shall  spread  happiness  in  its  progress,  and  improve 
the  talents  which  God  has  given  to  its  possessor; 
and  if  death  be  near  or  far,  such  life  must  fittingly 
merge  in  the  eternal  life  beyond,  since  no  good  thing 
of  God  is  ever  lost  to  him.  I,  myself,  feel  so 


558  Cartagena 


strangely,  completely  happy,  that  I  almost  fear  lest 
the  vision  leave  me,  and  I  awake  to  find  it  a  dream; 
but  let  us  bless  God  and  take  courage,  using  rever 
ently  and  gladly  his  perfect  bounty,  and  ready  to 
receive  as  readily  the  reverses,  which  in  their  turn 
will  come  to  us  in  His  good  time." 

"I  don't  think,  dear,"  said  Tempie,  "that  I  feared 
death  so  much  as  that  I  dreaded  to  leave  life  so  in 
complete,  so  empty  of  good  works  and  noble  deeds. 
I  sometimes  even  long  for  rest,  and  peace  and  free 
dom  from  pain;  but  I  would  rather  do  something 
for  those  around  me,  before  I  rest  with  the  holy  ones 
who  went  up  from  great  tribulation." 

"So  have  I  ever  felt,"  said  Stephen,  rising,  "and 
never  more  than  now.  Yet  I  can  well  see  that  God 
may  see  our  work  well  completed,  when  to  us  it  ap 
pears  that  we  have  scarce  entered  upon  life's  labors. 
Poor  little  Frank,  of  whom  I  told  you,  was  younger 
than  you,  yet  his  mild  courage  and  kindness  left 
scarcely,  a  dry  eye  in  the  ship  when  they  sent  him 
ashore  for  burial  beside  Captain  Stewart,  and  the 
chaplain  they  say  said  to  the  captain  at  dinner :  "I 
would  that  my  service  here  had  softened  as  many 
hearts  as  the  death  of  the  poor  child  we  buried 
to-day." 

"But  come,"  said  he  more  cheerily,  "let  us  go  in  to 
supper,  for  mother  has  just  rung  the  bell,  and  wre 
have  much  to  do  before  we  bid  adieu  for  a  time  to 
America  and  Ploughed  Neck.  'Tis  a  dear  old  place, 
Tempie,"  he  continued,  as  he  supported  her  steps 
along  the  shaded,  narrow  path,  "but  a  brighter, 
nobler  and  happier  life  I  trust  awaits  us  both  be 
yond  yonder  glassy  sea." 


tinder  the  Locusts  559 

That  night  it  became  known  for  the  first  time 
that  Stephen  was  about  to  marry,  and  that  Temple 
would  accompany  the  happy  pair  to  Great  Britain, 
and  four  days  after  the  Viana  sailed  for  Boston, 
manned  only  by  Untequit  and  Stephen  Hay,  who 
had  previously  by  letter  informed  Inez  of  his  in 
tended  coming  to  her  uncle's  hermit  cottage  at  Co- 
hasset. 


Chapter  XXXIX. 
In  Gurgite  Vasto 

It  was  just  daylight  when  the  Viana  got  under 
way,  and,  running  down  the  narrow  harbor  with  the 
young  ebb,  threaded  the  crooked  channel  and  the 
labyrinthine  sand  bars,  and,  with  the  wind  blowing 
but  scantily  from  the  southwest,  slowly  left  astern 
the  sentinel  sand  dunes  on  either  side  of  the  quiet 
haven  of  Scorton. 

The  breeze  was  flawy  and  capricious,  now  corning 
off  from  the  shore  in  tiny  squalls,  and  now  leaving 
the  broad  mainsail  swaying  idly  with  every  heave 
of  the  restless  sea.  The  day  was  a  lovely  one,  and 
on  every  hand  the  display  of  animal  life  was  abund 
ant  and  alluring.  Overhead  the  first  flight  of  coots 
on  their  southward  way  flecked  the  cloudless  hea 
vens  with  rapidly  flying  and  countless  flocks,  while 
beneath  their  tired  and  hungry  companions  dotted 
the  ocean,  some  asleep,  rocked  idly  on  the  long  regu 
lar  swells,  and  others  diving  in  search  of  food,  or 
racing  through  the  water  in  capricious  play. 

Out  to  seawrard  several  schooners  lay  at  anchor, 
fishing  for  cod  and  mackerel,  and  along  the  shore 
crept  here  and  there  large  seine  boats,  watching  for 
great  schools  of  silvery  bass,  now,  alas,  a  rare  fish 
in  the  waters  where  then  they  were  taken  by  thou 
sands;  and  on  either  hand,  as  the  light  sloop  forged 
slowly  northward,  the  reunited  comrades  noted  the 
spouting  whales  at  work  amid  the  schools  of  small 


In  Gurgite  Vasto  561 

fry,  the  blue  ripple  of  thousands  of  herring  and 
mackerel,  the  dashing  rush  of  porpoise  and  puinng- 
pig,  and  the  silently  gliding  dorsal  fin  of  the  stealthy 
shark  and  voracious  tunny,  or  horse  mackerel. 

Hundreds  of  tern  hovered  over  the  shallows  or 
dropped  like  flakes  of  snow  upon  the  smooth  water 
outside  the  breakers,  over  which  the  osprey  hovered, 
to  fall  like  a  javelju  upon  the  unconscious  fish  be 
low;  and  flocks  of  plover  and  sandpipers  with  weird 
ly  flute-like  calling  to  each  other  swept  past  close 
to  the  surface  of  the  sea,  or  covered  with  moving 
dots  of  white  the  shelving  shore  line. 

On  the  broad  marshes,  the  white  shirtsleeves  of 
the  haymakers  stood  out  in  bold  relief  against  the 
green  back  ground  of  the  short  thick  salt  grass, 
which  they  were  cutting  with  keen  scythes,  or  piling 
into  huge  stacks  upon  the  upland  in  the  shelter  of 
thickly  wooded  swamps.  Beyond  these,  the  fields, 
graceful  with  tasseled  maize,  golden  with  ripening 
grain,  or  dark  green  with  the  heavy  leaves  of  various 
vegetable  crops,  dotted  the  already  seared  and  with 
ered  pastures,  or  peered  out  from  between  untouched 
belts  of  scrub  oak  and  long-leaved  pine. 

Flocks  of  sheep  in  tumultuous  flight  broke  here  and 
there  into  view  on  the  edge  of  coppiced  banks,  stop 
ping  suddenly  as  if  aghast  at  the  miniature  abyss 
before  them,  to  survey  in  breathless  silence  the  sea 
before  them,  and  then,  with  simultaneous  rush,  tak 
ing  shelter  in  the  impenetrable  cover,  and  all  along 
the  coast  the  homesteads  of  the  Plymouth  farmers, 
each  with  its  orchard,  garden,  barn  and  well  sweep, 
sent  into  the  heavens  its  tiny  pillar  of  white  smoke, 


562  Cartagena    ' 


ascending  heavenward  through  the  dreamy  air  of 
the  warm  autumnal  harvest  season. 

Even  the  sea,  vexed  for  a  week  before  by  heavy 
easterly  winds,  lost  by  degrees  its  restlessness,  and 
by  noontide  the  swells  as  they  neared  the  strand 
ceased  to  break  into  foam,  and  scarcely  murmured 
as  their  refluent  strength  exhausted  itself  on  the 
long  levels  of  bare  sand  left  by  the  retreating  tide. 
It  was  a  day  of  perfect  peace.  One  of  those  rare 
seasons  wrhen,  for  a  time,  all  things  seem  at  rest,  and 
life,  calm,  sensuous,  delicious,  seems  without  care 
or  pain,  and  beyond  the  fear  of  calamity  or  death. 

For  some  hours  neither  of  the  men  had  aught 
to  say  to  the  other,  the  Indian  smoking  a  curious 
red  stone  pipe  and  Stephen  busy  with  his  own 
golden  hopes  and  the  scene  before  them.  At  noon, 
however,  they  ate  their  simple  meal  of  home-baked 
food,  and,  as  they  ate,  talked  of  their  past  adven 
tures  and  future  expectations. 

"When  you  leave  us  to  go  across  the  sea,  I,  too, 
shall  bid  farewell  to  Manomet,"  said  Untequit,  at 
last. 

"Will  you  not  go  with  us  to  England,  comrade?" 
said  Stephen  kindly.  "I  will  see  that  it  costs  you 
nothing,  and  I  shall  never  find  a  more  faithful  as 
sistant  or  truer  friend." 

A  flush  of  gratified  pride  lit  up  the  dusky  face 
and  keen  black  eyes,  but  it  soon  faded,  and  he  re 
joined,  in  a  tone  which  grew  in  sadness  as  he  pro 
ceeded: 

"Were  you  in  danger  or  poverty,  I  would  never 
leave  you,  Stephen  Hay ;  but  you  go  to  love  and  be 


In  Gurgite  Vasto  563 

loved,  to  find  rank  and  honor  and  wealth,  to  move 
among  great  men,  fair  women,  and  the  wondrous 
cities  beyond  the  seas.  I  rejoice  in  your  fortunes, 
but  they  can  offer  no  hopes  of  a  bright  life  for  me. 

Even  in  S ,  while  you  have  won  the  praise  of  the 

whole  county,  the  brand  of  race  shuts  me  out  from 
even  the  empty  reward  of  fleeting  praise." 

"Why,  Untequit,"  said  Stephen,  pleasantly,  "thou 
hast  had  the  good  word  of  everyone,  and,  if  fame  be 
thy  ambition,  hast  been  more  fortunate  than  I;  for 
thy  brave  deeds  as  a  ranger  and  slayer  of  Spaniards 
have  been  set  forth  in  every  newspaper  in  the 
colony." 

"Yes!"  said  Untequit,  scornfully,  "but  not  as  the 
exploits  of  Untequit,  the  grandchild  of  Caneotus,  the 
friend  of  King  Philip,  but  as  the  deed  of  a  "Cape 
Cod  Indian,"  to  whom  slaughter  and  subtlety  are 
easy  by  instinct  and  training,  as  to  a  bloodhound 
or  a  wolf.  No,  no,  brother !  I  go  back  to  Jamaica 
as  soon  as  the  white  topsails  of  the  ship  which  car 
ries  you  are  lost  from  my  watching  eyes.  In  no  land 
where  the  white  race  rule,  can  one  with  a  skin  less 
pale  rise  to  the  full  measure  of  his  manhood.  I  go 
where,  as  ally  or  outlaw,  the  planters  of  Jamaica 
shall  at  least  respect  the  leader  of  the  maroons  of 
the  mountains." 

"I  shall  be  sorry  to  part  with  you,"  said  Stephen, 
heartily;  "and  though  your  words  are  but  too  just 
as  to  most  of  my  race,  believe  me,  that  in  my  sight 
your  blood  is  no  less  pure,  no  less  noble  than  my 
own.  Indeed,  the  time  has  been  when  I  have  won 
dered  how  a  people  so  brave,  enduring  and  saga- 


564  Cartagena 


cious  as  yours  could  ever  have  been  reduced  to  their 
present  estate." 

"It  is  the  will  of  God,"  said  Untequit,  solemnly. 
"He  only  could  have  ordered  the  fatal  plagues 
which  ravaged  these  coasts,  and  left  the  great  tribes 
of  the  Massachusetts  seaboard  a  scattered  remnant, 
who  preferred  peace  and  friendship  to  a  doubtful 
strife  with  your  feeble  ancestors.  It  was  his  book 
that  divided  the  tribes  into  heathens  and  Christians, 
wrho  withstood  each  other  in  council,  fought  each 
other  in  battle,  and  set  at  naught  the  subtlety  and 
silent  warfare  of  the  forest,  which  otherwise  would 
have  laughed  at  the  clumsy,  steel-capped  musketeers 
of  the  first  Englishmen.  We  must  fade  away  before 
you  here,  and  I  go  nearer  to  the  sun  that  I  may 
leave  to  my  children  a  birthright  which  no  white 
man  can  hope  to  take  away." 

"You  are  right,  Untequit,"  said  Hay.  "But  how 
if  Inez  and  I  some  day  sail  for  Jamaica,  and  seek  you 
amid  the  mountains.  AVill  the  partisan  or  outlaw 
care  to  see  an  old  comrade?" 

"You  have  no  need  to  ask,"  replied  the  Indian, 
reproachfully,  "and  were  you  going  again  to  battle, 
aye  or  even  to  certain  death,  neither  hope  nor  fear, 
love  or  gold,  desire  of  life  or  fear  of  death  should 
keep  me  from  your  side." 

"I  know  it,"  said  Stephen,  heartily,  "and  I  trust 
our  final  parting  is  not  yet  near  at  hand.  But  there 
is  wind  in  those  clouds  in  the  west,  and  we  shall 
soon  be  making  better  headway,  I  judge,  than  the 
score  of  miles  we  have  made  this  long  day.  Keep 
an  eye  on  the  clouds,  and  steer  while  I  take  a  nap 


In  Gurgite  Vasto  565 

in  the  shade  of  the  trunk.  Wake  me  if  you  need 
me,  or  I  sleep  over  long." 

About  five  o'clock  the  threatened  shower  came, 
and  at  its  close  the  wind  had  hauled  to  the  north 
west  and  the  Viana,  by  a  succession  of  short  tacks, 
was  beating  against  wind  and  tide  toward  Boston, 
with  Minot's  Ledge  some  ten  miles  to  windward. 
The  sky  was  soon  cleared  overhead,  and  again  the 
wind  diminished  to  a  scanty  zephyr. 

"If  we  keep  our  course  we  can  make  Boston  light 
in  one  long  and  a  short  tack,"  said  Untequit,  "that 
is  if  this  breeze  does  not  die  away  altogether,  and 
leave  us  to  the  ebb  tide." 

"That  is  just  what  I  fear,"  said  Stephen,  "and  I 
think  we  will  work  close  in  shore,  both  to  avoid  the 
tide,  and  the  wind  which  must  soon  veer  to  the 
south,  according  to  my  way  of  thinking." 

"Ah,  Stephen  Hay,  yonder  speck  of  white  on  the 
Cohasset  shore  has  I  fear  more  attraction  than  it 
should  have  on  a  Boston  bound  coaster,  and  thou 
thinkest  the  wind  even  will  veer,  where  thy  heart 
is  burning  to  be." 

Stephen  blushed  like  a  girl,  but  knew  his  com 
panion  too  well  to  resort  to  the  subterfuges  with 
which  men  ordinarily  strive  to  blind  others  in  mat 
ters  of  the  heart. 

"She  will  light  the  candles  soon,"  he  said  softly. 
"She  knows  the  canvas  of  the  Viana,  and  I  doubt 
not  has  been  watching  us  through  her  uncle's  tele 
scope.  'Tis  a  glass  of  wonderful  power,  for"  he 
boasts  that  he  has  noted  the  time  on  a  church  clock 
at  nearly  two  leagues  distance ;  but  go  below  to  your 


566  Cartagena 


rest,  and  I  will  work  in  under  the  shore  to  meet  the 
change  of  wind.  The  night  will  be  clear  and  still, 
and  the  old  hussy  scarcely  needs  a  helmsman,  when 
the  breeze  is  steady  and  the  tiller  properly  beck- 
eted."  . 

The  Indian  went  below,  and  Stephen  sat  at  the 
helm,  watching  the  calm  sea,  and  the  distant  cove 
whence  as  the  shadows  deepened  a  bright  light,  as 
of  a  signal  lantern,  sent  a  tremulous  line  of  reflected 
radiance  across  the  intervening  space.  In  answer  he 
lit  the  sloops'  signal  light,  and  hoisted  it  to  the 
masthead,  and  returning  to  the  helm,  almost  cursed 
the  partial  calm  which  had  again  set  in. 

At  nine  o'clock  the  tide  had  turned  and  was  set 
ting  in  toward  the  ledges;  while  the  wind  was  so 
light  that  Stephen  no  longer  dared  to  stand  on  for 
fear  of  being  drifted  upon  the  rocks,  and  with  much 
difficulty,  and  the  assistance  of  a  slight  flaw,  the 
Viana  was  put  about  upon  the  starboard  tack,  and 
for  a  few  moments  the  ripple  under  her  bows  told 
that  she  was  making  three  or  four  knots  an  hour. 
But  shortly  the  wind  lessened,  and  though  from 
time  to  time,  aroused  by  an  increased  pull  of  the 
tiller,  or  the  flutter  of  the  canvas,  Stephen  soon  fell 
into  a  deep  reverie,  which  passed  into  somnolence 
and  deep  sleep. 

How  long  he  slept  he  never  knew,  but  in  his 
dreams  he  saw  the  fair  face  of  Inez  and  the  loving 
eyes  of  Tempie  watching  him  from  the  strand,  while 
a  snip  seemed  bearing  him  away  from  them  for 
ever.  In  desperation  he  rushed  aft  and  looked  down 
into  the  yeasty  wake  below,  and  then,  springing 
upon  the  rail,  prepared  for  a  leap  into  the  waves, 


In  Gurgite  Vasto  567 

A  heavy  blow  that  seemed  to  stun  him;  a  flight 
through  space,  whose  termination,  through  dreaded, 
seemed  never  to  be  reached,  and  strangely  harmless 
when  attained ;  a  sudden  chill  and  a  sense  of  suffoca 
tion  awakened  him  to  the  consciousness  tbat  he  was 
overboard,  and  a  hundred  fathoms  or  more  astern  of 
the  Viana,  which,  with  a  fitful  flaw  filling  her  canvas, 
although  yawing  widely,  was  still  hopelessly  out  of 
reach  of  the  swiftest  and  strongest  swimmer.  In 
stinctively,  Stephen  hailed  three  times  his  sleeping 
companion,  treading  water  vigorously,  and  exerting 
the  full  power  of  his  capacious  lungs: 

"Ahoy!     Ahoy!     Ahoy!" 

But  no  man  answered;  and  as  he  saw  the  little 
craft  grow  indistinct  in  the  darkness,  even  his  ap 
proved  courage  faltered,  for  he  felt  himself  face  to 
face  with  death. 

Yet  he  addressed  himself  calmly  to  his  last  hope 
of  safety — a  swim  to  the  shore,  nearly  six  miles 
away.  The  tide,  he  knew,  was  setting  in,  and  the  sea 
was  smooth — the  only  circumstances  which  gave  him 
hope  of  succeeding  in  a  feat  wThich  he  had  never 
seen  accomplished  by  any  swimmer.  Even  as  he 
revolved  these  things  in  his  brain,  still  somewhat 
dazed,  and  aching  with  the  blow  of  the  shifting 
boom,  he  had  kicked  off  his  shoes  and  thrown  off  the 
light  jacket  which  he  had  put  on  at  nightfall. 

With  greater  caution  he  succeeded  in  loosening 
his  knee  buckles,  so  that  the  long,  thick  woolen  hose, 
growing  heavy  with  water,  could  be  removed;  and 
lastly,  with  his  strong  teeth  he  tore  off  the  buttons 
at  either  wrist,  and  wrenching  the  body  to  ribbons, 


568  Cartagena 


gave  his  loose  shirt  to  the  waves.  As  he  did  so,  he 
felt  the  lanyard  of  his  knife,  and,  opening  it  with 
his  teeth,  cut  his  small-clothes -on  either  side,  until, 
free  of  every  encumbrance,  he  lay  naked  on  the  sur 
face  of  the  sea,  swimming  with  long,  regular  strokes 
toward  the  dim  light  where  love  and  life  awaited 
him  should  he  escape  the  death  that  so  unexpectedly 
had  menaced  him. 

Six  miles  away  the  light  shone,  as  he  rose  on  the 
throbbing  pulses  of  the  sea;  a  two-knot  tide  swept 
toward  the  ledge,  but  a  mile  beyond,  and  in  an  hour 
and  a  half  at  farthest  he  might  hope  to  reach  at 
least  a  rock  on  whose  top  he  might  rest  for  a  time, 
until  again  driven  off  by  the  rising  tide.  The  water 
was  warm  and  the  sky  above  strangely  calm  and 
beautiful,  and,  as  he  gave  himself  to  his  task,  the 
athlete  felt  that  even  in  such  sore  strait  he  might 
still  hope  for  life.  A  single  muttered  prayer  for 
help  and  strength;  a  wonderful  retrospection  of 
life's  pathway;  a  bitter,  yearning  cry  for  help,  un 
heard  save  of  heaven,  and-  then  Stephen  Hay  was 
swimming  for  his  life.  Aye,  more  than  that,  for,  as 
he  swam,  he  thought  of  his  frail  sister,  whose  feeble 
hold  on  existence  and  hopes  of  strength  and  happi 
ness  regained  beyond  the  seas  would  be  withered  by 
his  loss,  like  the  fervent,  tropical  love  of  Inez,  whose 
affection  had  been  stronger  than  all  trial  and  even 
jealousy,  and,  as  he  thought,  despite  himself  he  gave 
way  to  exertions  which,  a  moment  later,  with  a 
smile  at  his  weakness,  he  forebore. 

Ten,  twenty,  thirty  moments  passed,  and,  grow 
ing  weary,  he  turned  upon  his  back,  trusting  to  his 


In  Gurgite  Vasto  569 

buoyancy  to  get  breath,  and  just  keeping  his  mouth 
and  nostrils  above  the  surface  until,  somewhat  re 
freshed,  he  again  turned  toward  the  light,  still  miles 
away  from  his  wearied  but  not  yet  despairing  eyes. 

At  the  end  of  an  hour  he  was  again  resting,  this 
time  with  the  slight  aid  of  a  piece  of  drift  wood, 
which  he  placed  beneath  his  neck  and  found  nearly 
capable  of  keeping  his  head  above  water  without 
exertion.  With  renewed  hope  he  looked  for  the  light 
of  the  Viana;  it  seemed  still  afar  off  on  the  Atlan 
tic  seaboard,  and  he  turned  shoreward  again  toward 
the  friendly  beacon. 

He  had  taken  his  support  to  place  it  beneath  his 
breast,  but,  as  he  did  so,  it  snapped  in  two  and  with 
a  strange  sinking  at  his  heart  he  swam  slowly  on 
toward  the  beacon,  which  seemed  to  move  mocking 
ly  away,  as  he  struggled  on  with  lagging  feet  and 
arms  which  seemed  weighed  down  by  an  ever  in 
creasing  load.  Yet  even  then  he  gave  little  thought 
to  death,  striking  out  with  a  firmer,  longer  sweep, 
and  summoning,  with  all  the  force  of  his  undaunted 
will,  the  failing  life  forces,  driven  back  from  the  ex 
tremities  to  their  citadel,  the  heart. 

Only  half  a  mile  away  the  light  glittered  and 
gleamed  at  last,  but  the  strong  swimmer  was  fail 
ing  fast,  the  brave  spirit  faint  and  weary,  the  daunt 
less  brain  dizzy  with  the  terrible  blow  of  the  spar, 
and  its  herculean  struggle  for  life. 

Like  a  dream  came  back  to  him  the  passage  of  the 
Parimo,  the  sea-fight  of  the  Azores,  the  tropical  for 
ests  of  Boca  Chica,  and  the  strange,  wild  life  of  the 
past  five  years,  and  then  he  seemed  to  be  again  in 


570  Cartagena 


the  close  and  stifling  atmosphere  of  the  old  church 

in  g 1  in  the  old  family  pew,  and  in  his  ears  the 

voice  of  Parson  Giddings,  deep  and  grave  and  sad, 
uttered  the  mournful  words  of  the  Apocryphal  text : 

"And  our  name  shall  be  forgotten  among  men, 
and  no  man  shall  have  our  works  in  remembrance, 
and  our  life  shall  pass  away  as  the  trace  of  a  cloud." 

A  ripple  of  rushing  water  passed  over  his  head, 
he  clutched  at  some  obstacle  to  his  further  progress 
and  clung  desperately  to  its  support. 


Awaking  he  lay  in  an  ample  bed,  and  the  ci-devant 
buccaneer  and  Untequit  with  bowed  heads  stood 
at  his  feet.  Holding  his  listless  hand  between  her 
slender  fingers,  knelt  Inez,  whose  face  pallid  with 
suspense,  grew  brighter  as  she  saw  the  light  of  life 
and  love  come  back  into  his  weary  eyes. 

She  smoothed  back  the  matted  curls  from  his 
forehead  and  covered  the  captive  hand  with  warm 
kisses,  waiting  patiently  until  he  found  strength  to 
speak.  He  seemed  to  hear  again  the  wild  song  and 
barbarous  music  of  the  boat-men  of  Calamar,  and 
the  legend  of  Athalpa  and  Ocana,  the  faithful  and 
hapless. 

"Athalpa!"  he  murmured.  "Athalpa!  glorious  and 
noble.  Ocana  comes — through  deep  waters — "  but 
he  could  say  no  more. 

"Yes,  love,"  she  answered  in  the  soft  Castilian 
tongue.  "You  have  come  back  to  me  again,  I  know. 
May  the  merciful  Mother  of  God  be  praised  therefor. 
Now  sleep,  love,  and  dream  of  a  happy  awakening, 
for  we  part  never  more." 


In  Gurgite  Vasto  571 

When  Stephen  found  himself  restored  to  full  con 
sciousness,  John  Hewson,  or  rather  John  Oliver, 
would  not  listen  to  his  proposed  departure  for  Bos 
ton  in  the  Viana. 

"The  Indian  just  saved  you  by  a  boat's  length," 
said  he,  "and  I'm  not  willing  to  take  any  more 
chances.  Inez  would  have  died  if  the  Viana  had 
missed  ye,  and  I'm  in  command  now.  I'll  send  two 
men  with  the  Indian  to  bring  up  your  folks  and 
baggage,  and  you  can  ride  into  Boston  in  a  day  or 
two,  and  get  ready  for  the  wedding.  Next  week  the 
London  packet  sails,  and  we  go  in  her  together." 

"But  perhaps  Inez — "  said  Stephen  uneasily,  for  he 
noted  the  flushed  cheeks  and  bowed  head  of  his  be 
trothed,  unused  to  such  rough,  although  well-meant 
dictation.  His  voice  trembled,  for  he  was  still  weak, 
and  at  the  sound  Inez  forgot  all  else  in  her  love  and 
solicitude. 

"We  will  obey  him,  Stefano,"  she  whispered 
softly.  "He  means  all  for  the  best,  and  I —  Oh,  I 
cannot  let  you  leave*  me  again." 

So  John  Oliver  had  his  way,  and  a  week  later  the 
seaside  cottage  was  crowded  with  the  witnesses  of 
Stephen  Hay's  bridal,  after  which  Oliver,  Stephen 
and  Inez  sailed  for  England,  accompanied  by  Tern- 
pie,  Rosita  and  Untequit  who,  at  the  last  moment, 
yielded  to  Stephen's  entreaties. 

John  Oliver  came  to  his  own,  and  in  great  con 
tent  lived  for  some  years  to  enjoy  his  good  fortune, 
and  at  his  death  left  his  estates  to  Inez  and  her 
heirs,  and  a  large  sum  of  money  to  Stephen,  who 
long  before  this  had  become  a  successful  gen 
tleman  farmer. 


572  Cartagena 


Temple  regained  her  health,  and  married  an  Eng 
lish  officer,  who  before  the  American  war  had  sold 
out,  and  taken  an  estate  close  by  the  Oliver  manor. 
Both  he  and  Stephen  Hay  were  found  among  the 
many  who  opposed  the  measures,  which  sundered 
the  ties  between  England  and  her  American 
colonies. 

Untequit  for  a  few  years  acted  as  Stephen's  as 
sistant  on  the  Oliver  estates;  but  he  chafed  under 
the  restraints  of  English  social  life,  and  his  health 
suffered  to  such  an  extent  that  the  family  physician 
declared  that  he  must  seek  a  milder  climate.  He 
took  passage  for  Jamaica  and  joining  the  Maroons 
became  a  chief  among  them,  and  was  one  of  the  last 
who  submitted  to  the  English  authorities,  at  or 
near  the  close  of  the  last  century. 


Chapter  XL. 
Conclusion 

In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1854,  a  boy  of  ten  was 
rummaging  the  garret  of  the  old  Hay  homestead  at 

S .  At  an  age  when  boys  are  generally  robust 

and  mischievous  he  appeared  to  be  weak  of  body 
and  thoughtful  beyond  his  years,  though  his  atten 
tion  seemed  to  be  about  equally  divided  between  a 
lot  of  old  colonial  papers,  proclamations,  and  anti 
quated  books,  and  some  battered  arms  and  equip 
ments  dating  back  to  the  wars  of  the  colonies  and  of 
the  revolution.  Two  rapiers  without  scabbards  and 
covered  with  rust,  at  last  attracted  his  attention, 
and  taking  them  below,  he  asked  an  amiable  looking 
old  gentleman  if  he  could  be  permitted  to  keep  them. 

"Keep  them?  Yes,  yes!  but  take  care  to  hurt  no 
one,  and  don't  get  the  rust  on  your  nice  suit." 

"I  will  clean  them  in  the  sand,"  said  the  boy. 
"Whose  were  they,  grandpa?" 

"I  can  tell  you  but  little,  my  boy,"  he  said  slowly, 
removing  his  pipe,  and  evidently  striving  to  remem 
ber  some  story  learned  in  youth,  "but  his  name  was 
Stephen  Hay,  who  went  in  the  old  wars  as  a  soldier 
or  sailor,  or  both,  to  the  Spanish  Main,  and  the  siege 
of  Louisbourg.  Some  say  that  he  was  drowned  be 
tween  here  and  Boston  from  a  sloop,  and  that  for 
some  reason  the  man  who  was  with  him  failed  to 
pick  him  up,  though  he  swam  well  and  valiantly  for 
his  life." 


574  Cartagena 


"And  what  else? — what  else,  grandpa?"  asked  the 
boy,  eagerly,  his  large  eyes  dilating  with  interest 
as  he  poised  first  one  light  rapier  and  then  the  other. 

"There  is  nothing  else,  except  his  will  and  some 
few  small  papers  among  the  deeds  up  stairs.  No 
one  knows  w7here  he  was  buried;  and  though  they 
say  that  he  was  strong  and  beautiful  beyond  most 
men,  he  died  long,  very  long  ago,  and  is  forgotten." 

From  the  researches  of  later  years,  from  the  lists 
of  officers  and  soldiers,  and  fragmentary  bits  of  the 
scant  newspaper  intelligence  and  correspondence  of 
that  day,  something  was  added  in  after  years,  and  of 
its  value  those  must  judge  who  have  followed  the 
story  to  its  close.  But  its  hero,  despite  his  manly 
beauty  and  stainless  loyalty,  his  strange  adventures, 
and  brave  exploits,  so  far  as  the  traditions  of  his  own 
people  are  concerned,  lies  in  an  unknown  grave,  over 
which,  if  it  could  be  found,  might  well  be  written 
the  words  of  the  wisdom  of  Solomon: 

"And  our  name  shall  be  forgotten  among  men, 
and  no  man  shall  have  our  works  in  remembrance, 
and  our  life  shall  pass  as  the  trace  of  a  cloud,  and 
shall  be  dispersed  as  the  mist  that  is  driven  away 
with  the  beams  of  the  sun,  and  overcome  with  the 
heat  thereof. 

"For  our  time  is  a  very  shadow,  that  passeth  away, 
and  after  our  end  there  is  no  returning;  for  it  is 
fast  sealed,  so  that  there  is  no  returning." 


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